The Beginning of a Beautiful Relationship or not
by PJ Zatken
Summary: Set between Kyoto Files Revisited and Apocalypse Rising, this fic is a glimpse of the date between Watari and Tatsumi and the events that followed. Being opposites, would the resulting relationship between them be something that one or both would like?
1. The Invitation

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter One: The Invitation

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_**To the Reader**_

_For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fan fiction has a PG-13 rating due to its content, and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated._

_**Timeline of this fanfic**_

_The timeline and setting of this fanfic is immediately after the incidents at the end of __Kyoto Files Revisited __and a year before __Apocalypse Rising__. This fanfic is stand-alone, which means that it is not necessary for the reader to have read __KFR__ and __Apocalypse__ to understand this fanfic's plot. _

_The latter part of this fic would also pick up parts that have been touched upon by the fic __The Shadows of My Past.__ Again, it is not required for one to read __Shadows__ in order to understand the plot for the fic you are about to read – especially since events touched upon in __Shadows__ will be mentioned at a much later part of this fic Once I do get to that part, I will mention it as part of the author note at the chapter(s) concerned._

_This fic is also intended to be much shorter than the fics that I normally write. I need to give my YnM muses a peace offering._

_For the benefit of those who have not read KFR and those who have read it a while back, the Shokan Division's primary mission / case has gone to a close. Watari Yutaka invites Tatsumi Seeichiro to go out to dinner. Tatsumi accepts the invitation._

_Shortly before the invitation, Tatsumi had finished talking to and threatening Chief Satori of the Preservation Bureau. More importantly, Tatsumi once again turned down a promotion that Lord Enma offers him – a promotion that would have placed him on equal footing with Chief Konoe if he had accepted the position._

_After accepting the invitation, Watari and Tatsumi agree to meet in the evening._

_And this is where the fic picks up from…._

_**Disclaimer**_

_By the way, I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters. Please read and review. Let me know what you think. _

_Please sit back and enjoy reading. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this and the fics that I have been writing._

_**Many thanks,**_

_**PJ Zatken

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It was just a couple of minutes before seven in the evening and the wind blew its cool air heavily in Meifu. Although there was no snow nor was it the season for it, the night breeze was chilly.

As some of the citizens walked towards their respective homes after spending a few hours outside the unusually-cold weather, two figures whizzed past them.

The first was a tall, spry one who perpetually gave his heartfelt apologies to everyone he nearly bumped into every now and then. He made an effort to keep his balance and coordination as he made a mad dash towards the small park at the corner of his street, his brown trench coat billowing behind him as if it was a cape.

A much-smaller fluttering companion followed the sprinting figure, flying just a couple of feet away. She caught the small handkerchief-sized scarf that was displaced from her master's long blonde hair, catching the scarf just in time with her beak while making cooing noises.

"Yes, I know! Thank you!" said Watari in-between inhales and exhales, mentally thinking that he was getting too old for such activity. He would not be late for his appointment but he had to return to his apartment to grab his coat.

Watari then finally slowed down his sprint to a brisk walk as he saw the first tree that marked the beginning of the park grounds. Once his racing heart slowed down its beats, he slowed down to a casual walk as 003 dropped the small square scarf on his shoulder.

Just as Watari finished combing through his hair and securing it with the scarf, he caught sight of Tatsumi Seiichiro in the act of sitting in the park bench while checking his wristwatch for the time. He grinned nervously as Tatsumi glanced sideways and smiled back.

Tatsumi stood up and walked towards Watari, meeting the blonde scientist halfway. He let out a subtle sigh as he noticed the slight mark of guilt in Watari's smile. Part of him thought that the other should feel that way since he had been waiting at the park as they have agreed upon since six-forty-five.

As for Watari, he repeatedly prayed to the gods that Tatsumi would not get angry or give him a hard time about his tardiness just as the latter always did whenever he was late for meetings at work. He felt a bit better when the secretary gave him a genial smile although the latter told him, "You're late…as always."

Watari chuckled a bit. The sounds of his soft chuckled mingled with 003's hoots of hello to Tatsumi. "You need to learn how to relax –"

The secretary buried his leather-gloved hands inside his coat pockets, his mood light and teasing. "_Relax_ just like you and Tsuzuki-san? You two are_ too_ relaxed for my taste. You two should take pointers on promptness, prudence, and industry from Kurosaki-kun."

Just smiling and not saying a word, Watari waved his hand and opened a portal leading to Chijou – a part of Kyoto where there was a good selection of restaurants, shops, and places to hang out in after eating and shopping.

"Thank goodness for April weather in Kyoto. We could roam around and see some cherry blossoms afterwards," murmured Watari as he felt warmer, with Tatsumi agreeing with him.

Watari's pet owl fluttered about between the two men, eventually resting on Tatsumi's shoulders just as she would do here and there for years – a gesture of 003 that was endearing to Tatsumi and surprising to Watari.

As the two walked across the street, the blonde scientist said, "I'm glad you're not biting 003's head off, just as you did with Chief Satori."

"You make me sound as if I'm an ogre," Tatsumi quipped, a gentle smirk escaping his lips as the owl hooted and flapped her small wings for a couple of seconds.

Once 003 settled on his shoulders again, Tatsumi added, "And what makes you think that I bit anyone's head off? I just gave him the message that Enma-DaiOh-sama wanted me to give to him."

This time, it was Watari's turn to let out a subtle sigh. He removed his leather gloves and secured them in his coat pocket. "And I thought Meifu weather's exceptionally and surprisingly cold this time of the year. You're colder and more unpredictable than the weather, judging by how Chief Satori's kissing up to Tsuzuki and our chief. Moreover, you've once again turned down a promotion."

Tatsumi's tone was calm, yet the tone of his voice made Watari nervous. They stopped walking and stood at the corner of a street, waiting to cross the street. "Is that why you invited me to dinner, Watari Yutaka? Are you curious to find out the truth?"

After gaining some of his composure back and feeling defensive for what he considered as an accusation from Tatsumi, Watari replied with an equally calm yet matter-of-factly tone, "I invited you because I was alone tonight. I hung out with everyone alone and got to bond with them outside the office except for you. I am not just curious about the truth of what happened just recently. I have been curious about you for a very long time."

Tatsumi's icy-blue gaze remained transfixed on Watari. Then the chilling cold gaze of the secretary slowly but surely melted into a relaxed one – the normal demeanor that he mostly exhibited around the scientist. "I have my reasons, Watari-san. Maybe later on in the evening, I'll have a chance to share them with you."

"If you don't want to share those reasons with me or anyone, it's fine. It's been like that for decades so no harm, no foul. I just want to hang out with you and in my way thank you for the raise that everyone got."

The pedestrian prompt changed, and people began to cross the intersection. The two followed their fellow pedestrians, walking side-by-side and contemplating what the other's thoughts were.

After a long period of silence as the two walked towards the restaurant with Tatsumi following Watari's lead, Tatsumi gave the other a sideway glance and smiled. "You're welcome."

The blonde scientist looked sideways, his gaze meeting the secretary's. In such a quiet yet customarily-lighthearted tone, he said, "I knew it. I knew it. Who would know that the Shokan Division scrooge would be our raise fairy in disguise?"

With a smile and a quiet yet teasing tone, Tatsumi's reply was, "Share a soul about it, and I'll cut your budget for the entire year."

"It's our secret," murmured Watari with a knowing smirk escaping his lips, thinking in the back of his mind that Tatsumi was such an unpredictable, blackmailing sadistic bastard.

Watari's eyes lit up as he saw his favorite restaurant just a block away from where they were. He pointed it out to Tatsumi, the latter nodding in agreement and remembering how he enjoyed dining there as well many years ago.

By the time that they reached the restaurant and had now waited for a booth, Tatsumi asked Watari, "You said that you were curious about me, Watari-san. Why, and what about?"

The blonde scientist smiled warmly, his brown eyes reflecting that smile and so much more which made Tatsumi more curious. "I have my reasons. Maybe later on tonight, or later on down the road, I'll have the chance to share them with you."

**End of Chapter One**


	2. Skirting from the Truth

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Two: Skirting from the Truth

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Tatsumi was caught off-guard for a minute with Watari's coy yet cryptic words. His cool, piercing blue eyes rested on his companion. If there was anyone in his life or afterlife who he found mysterious, it was Watari.

Before he was able to open his mouth and ask the other for an explanation, the maître d' arrived with a genial smile escaping his lips. "Good evening, gentlemen and welcome to _Château Badeau._ Please follow me to your booth."

003 sulked due to the glare that the maître d' had given her, which was already a customary behavior that she had expected from this particular server. She nonetheless followed her master and Tatsumi. Her expression of contempt towards the server simply demonstrated as she flapped her wings to fly from Watari's shoulder to Tatsumi's shoulder, in the process purposefully annoying the snooty waiter.

The waiter did his best to be gracious since Watari had talked to him about the issue. As much as Watari was calm and reasonable during the entire conversation, and had been a gracious patron for the past few years, the waiter sensed that there was something about Watari that he should never dare cross.

Moreover, the restaurateur advised the same waiter to treat Watari and 003 warmly since he recognized how some patrons doted on Watari's owl while the scientist gave his praises about the establishment and the food. The waiter followed the advice given to him, especially since Watari normally left him a generous tip.

After Tatsumi and Watari have placed their orders, Watari asked 003 gently as she remained perched on Tatsumi's shoulder, "When are you going to forgive him? He's leaving us alone. In fact, he's been nice."

003 ruffled her feathers, her way of expressing her annoyance.

"I never knew that you know how to get upset," said Tatsumi to the owl, finding the tension-filled rapport between 003 and the maître d' rather amusing. "I think that he's more afraid of you and Watari-san."

The two shinigami chuckled inwardly as 003 seemed to have protested over them making light of her annoyance towards the waiter.

Tatsumi smoothed the owl's feathers to appease her, doing the repetitive gesture with gentleness. The only reason why he stopped momentarily was when he noticed how Watari was looking at the two of them, prompting Tatsumi to ask, "What?"

Straightening his glasses and being casual about the observation, Watari said, "It's nice to see your gentle side."

A sarcastic chuckle escaped from Tatsumi's lips along with a glint of suspicion lighting up his eyes. He continued stroking the owl with his fingers until she hooted her satisfaction, prompting him to stop as she quietly settled on his shoulders once more. "_Gentle_ side? What chemical fumes or potions have you been inhaling today…and what are you _really _up to?"

"The raise that we just got after decades of not having one has a greater giddy effect than any fume or potion," Watari replied, his focus still staying on Tatsumi.

Tatsumi was about to say something, but their order came. Deciding to hold on to the comment that he was about to make, he watched Watari make a little plate of food and drink for 003. He did not start his meal until Watari was ready to do the same.

The meal was uneventful, save for comments and observations passed back and forth about how wonderful the food and ambiance were among other things.

A couple of hours later, the two men walked out of the restaurant and headed towards the shops. On their way to the next shop, a quaint place that sold porcelain dolls and other fine china, Tatsumi told Watari, "I'm hoping that our next dinner or lunch together would be…that it'll be more…."

"More what?"

"At ease…. Comfortable…"

Watari's eyes went wide and then blinked. "I don't know what to say."

Tatsumi sighed a bit, not wanting to make Watari feel bad and thinking that his candid statement and his intentions have been misconstrued. "I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. I didn't –"

"No, it's not that. No offense was taken at all."

A surprised Tatsumi asked, "You're not offended at all?"

"Not the least bit. I'm just surprised that you want to do this again. We'll be more comfortable with each other outside of work."

The secretary was caught off-guard once more with the comment then relaxed a bit. "Let's walk to the park. We'll get a lovely view of the trees and the city from a certain spot."

As the two slightly changed their direction, this time with Tatsumi leading, Tatsumi said as he noticed that he and Watari were now away from the crowd, "I'm having a good time, Watari-san, and the night's still young. I guess we know each other too well at work, but we don't know each other very much personally."

"We have many things to clear and talk about," was Watari's quiet reply, with him finding some comfort from the tension-filled air by stroking 003's feathers as they walked.

Tatsumi glanced at Watari, noticing the other's quiet yet strong resolve hidden behind an amiable and non-threatening demeanor. There had been many moments of contention between them especially during the past year, the culmination of it being the time that they almost lost a suicidal Tsuzuki at Kyoto. "I suppose so…."

Closing his eyes momentarily, the guilt that Tatsumi harbored since then burdened his heart.

Although the memories welled up for just a couple of minutes then went back to the inner recesses of his heart and mind, the secretary remembered vividly that he only intended to save Hisoka – not Tsuzuki. He also knew that the only reason he was able to save Tsuzuki was because Hisoka would not let go of Tsuzuki. Given the situation at hand, Tatsumi could only do either one of two options – save both or save none.

So Tatsumi did what he deemed to be best, and that was to save both. He also deemed it best to watch, protect, and love his partner from a distance. He knew that Tsuzuki needed him, and in a way he needed Tsuzuki. He also knew that if he became closer emotionally, mentally, and spiritually to Tsuzuki just as they did before that such a relationship would destroy them both.

"_Better this than before. They're better off for each other. I wouldn't be able to handle him…and us,"_ was Tatsumi's closing thought before letting out a subtle sigh and focusing on the present and Watari.

The two eventually reached the park and the area that people normally called Lovers' Bridge – a small wooden bridge nearby sakura trees and a man-made lake where lovers frequented to relax either under the sunny blue skies or the calming night skies while gazing at the nearby hustle and bustle of the city.

Once they have found a spot on the bridge, 003 hooted a bit as if she had asked Watari permission to roam freely for a couple of minutes. Her hoots became more animated as Watari happily gave his consent.

However, silence returned once 003 left – leaving Tatsumi and Watari alone.

The two shinigami had thoughts that were running in their minds during the silence. Nonetheless, the silence between them was different…more comfortable…substantially less threatening than earlier.

"Tsuzuki and I used to hang out here most of the time whenever we had assignments," said Tatsumi, thinking aloud. "We came by here last year again. So much has changed."

Watari did not say anything, yet his silence and the gaze that he gave Tatsumi spoke much louder than any other word of acknowledgement or sympathy.

After another long period of silence between them, Tatsumi dared to ask Watari, "What have you been thinking of lately?"

"The Division…Tsuzuki…all of us… You know that Tsuzuki and I are good friends. What you did means a lot to him."

A pursed-lipped, rueful smile escaped from Tatsumi's lips. "I didn't do anything. You know better than that."

Keeping his gaze at the calm waters and sensing the guilt subtly laced in Tatsumi's words, Watari's reply was, "You wanted to respect his wishes to die. You understood the reason behind his wish. You also know that Bon's safety and happiness are important to him. You did all of that when you saved them. Tsuzuki and I may be goofy and giddy in different ways, but we both know better than that. You did the right thing. Isn't it time for you to recognize that?"

"And you gave up that promotion to watch over us…over Tsuzuki…"

That was when Tatsumi countered, "Yes, and no…."

Tatsumi turned around to face Watari, his back and elbows resting on the bridge's railing. "Yes, I chastised and placed Chief Satori in his place because of Tsuzuki and the Shokan Division. The man is a hypocrite and a bully."

With his gaze intently resting on the blonde scientist, Tatsumi gathered up as much courage as he could to tell the other, "I say no because I gave up the promotion to watch over everyone…most especially over you."

**End of Chapter Two

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_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._


	3. The Unmeeting of the Minds

**YAMI NO MATSUEI ****– DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP ****–OR NOT?**

**Chapter Three: The Un-meeting of the Minds **

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"What...did you just say?"

Tatsumi looked at Watari, his gaze not wavering at all. "I said that I didn't take the promotion because I want to continue watching over everyone, most especially you."

The blonde scientist was near-speechless, yet he managed to say, "So you stayed this time because of me. What about the first time – the promotion that you were supposed to take years ago? Why didn't you take that one?"

"Exact same reason..."

Now Watari's forehead crinkled. He straightened his glasses, shifted his gaze for a minute, or did anything that he deemed inconspicuous so that he would stop feeling so uncomfortable and puzzled. "That first promotion was seven years ago. Why didn't you say anything then? Have you been feeling like this all this time?"

Tatsumi gave Watari a tightlipped smile and he turned around to face the lake once more, keeping his silence since he did not know what to say. His heart raced and he cringed, feeling as if his stomach was in knots. What else was there to say?

"Oh, I see…" said Watari, his demeanor slowly reverting to matter-of-factly although there was a part of him that wanted to lash out at the secretary. "So you're clamming up again?"

There was a split-second glint of anger that flashed in Tatsumi's eyes. "And your point being?"

"I deserve more than what you're doing right now. When will you ever learn to let people in?"

"That is the very reason why I didn't say anything, or in your terms 'let people in…' You deserve more. I can't give you what you need."

Being more than eager to return the glare, Watari asked in a calm yet icy tone, "You _can't_ or you _won'__t?_"

"You don't understand…."

"You're right. I _don't_ understand, and I _won't_ understand."

Watari deadpanned after the long-standing silence between them, "Don't assume that you know me that well. You don't know what I deserve or not. You don't know what I need or don't need in my existence. Before tonight, have you bothered talking to me about it before?"

Tatsumi's voice was strained and his tone defensive as he replied, "I'm telling you now…."

Watari's cold words and his harsh gaze aimed at his companion. Although his tone was not laced with blame, the raw truth behind his words hurt more. "You've made up your mind about me. You've passed judgment against me without talking to me or asking me first."

Feeling backed up against an emotional wall, Tatsumi gave Watari one of his trademark death glares – the very ones that he reserved to give people such as Chief Satori and Muraki Kazutaka. His voice, as even as it sounded, dripped of anger and a threat, "What do you want from me? What are you expecting from me?"

Undeterred and unfazed, Watari looked at the other. As matter-of-factly as he had been all this time, he kept his calm. The fire in his eyes was still there, yet his tone took a gentler veil. "Nothing more than what you're willing to give or share…and for you to stop thinking that I want something more than what I really want. To let people in your life for once…to let me in your life…. You and I both want to try and see what's in store for us. A friendship and something beyond that if both of us wish it. Now's a perfect time as before…."

Leaning against the railing and letting his volatile emotions to cool down, Tatsumi then shifted his gaze to the waters before them. "You tell me not to judge you, yet you assume too much about what I feel. What makes you think that I want the same thing as you?"

Watari kept his composure so that only he knew what was going on inside him, "Am I wrong, Tatsumi Seiichiro?"

The two gazed at each other for a very long time, neither one of them willing to bend.

The pet owl flew back to both men happily yet her cheerful chirp changed tune as she felt the ongoing tension. She landed on Watari's shoulder, hooting softly as if she was asking him what was wrong.

Smiling softly and pushing aside any pent-up emotions, Watari asked the other with his usual lighthearted tone, "It's getting rather late. Do you wish to go somewhere else while we're here in Chijou, Tatsumi-san?"

"No, no…. Let's walk you home…."

After shrugging his shoulders, Watari shook his head then told Tatsumi, "You don't have to – "

Raising his hand, Tatsumi interjected, "I insist…and I'm sorry….."

"Let's just forget about it….and just go home. Next time will be more comfortable for both of us – provided that there will be a next time?"

Tatsumi replied along with a pursed-lipped smile, "Of course there'll be a next time. Why won't there be one?"

After having a gentle smile escape his lips, Watari waved his hand once they reached a safe corner. When the portal leading back to Meifu was in place, the three stepped through it and within a course of minutes they were now at the park where Tatsumi waited for him.

The wind blew colder and stronger still, and the sakura petals that blanketed the ground began to be blown away by the breeze. New petals also fell to the ground shortly before they too were carried away by the bitter cold wind.

Pulling out his muffler and wrapping it around his neck, Tatsumi said, "I have my car. I'll drive both of you there."

It was a short walk, but Watari nodded and rode at the passenger side of Tatsumi's car.

During the drive, many thoughts plagued Tatsumi's mind and before he could make sense of it all they arrived at Watari's place.

Watari told Tatsumi, his tone and his demeanor being as if nothing had transpired between them, "Thank you, Tatsum-san. We'll see you on Monday…."

"Watari-san –"

Then the two respectively froze as Tatsumi rested his hand on Watari's hand to stop the other from leaving. There was so much to say, yet he could not say anything since he did not know where to start…especially when Watari said, "Everything's fine. No worries…."

A couple of minutes later, a still-speechless Tatsumi saw Watari step out of his car and waved farewell to him. What bothered the secretary most was that Watari was calm about everything.

That was what Tatsumi thought….

As soon as Watari entered his apartment and closed the door behind him, he leaned against the door and closed his eyes. His mind was a garbled mess as well, this moment being one of the rare times in his life that he lost it….

Well, _almost_ lost it….

003 softly hooted and affectionately rubbed her face against Watari's, with her still not consoled even though Watari said in feigned cheer, "I'm fine, girl. Now let's rest. We have a long day tomorrow with experiments, remember?"

After letting out a couple more soft hoots, 003 flew inside Watari's bedroom and nestled in her resting place.

Closing his eyes once more, Watari took a couple of deep breaths to ease the weight in his chest. Upon removing his glasses, the first few teardrops betrayed him. He clenched his fists in near-vain efforts to gather his composure, one hand still holding his flimsy glasses.

The blonde secretary then went through his uneventful routine before going to bed, with him smiling ruefully as he saw 003 now asleep. _ "Did time pass that quickly? I didn't realize it was this late." _

Watari had earlier thought that the evening with Tatsumi was torture due to the uncomfortable pockets of silence as well as the subtle battle of will and words between them. He now realized that lying in bed thinking about what could have been and why matters did not unfold more happily for him was unbearable. The usually-decisive scientist now wanted to kick his own head for not facing Tatsumi head-on with such delicate matters.

Taking a deep sigh, Watari then bit his lip knowing that it was already too late and he had to face the consequences of his actions the next time that he saw Tatsumi. Once that he did manage to fall asleep, his sleep was fitful.

And at one point, Watari thought as he let part of his frustration bubble to the surface while trying to get back to sleep, _"I'm tossing and turning while that smug, red pencil-wielding, uptight nut must be sleeping soundly in his bed! Why the hell should I worry about it when he surely doesn't give a hoot?" _

Little did the blonde scientist know that Tatsumi was not sleeping soundly, nor was he in the comfort and warmth of his bed at home….

Tatsumi remained outside Watari's apartment, his mind and emotions both turbulent as he kept recalling the conversation between Watari and him. Staying in his car while doing his best to filter through his feelings, he too blamed himself on why matters had gone so wrong this evening between them.

Another fact that Watari did not know was that this was not the first time that Tatsumi stayed outside his apartment. Over the past few months, the secretary had been doing his best to gather the courage to say what needed to be said. He hoped that once that courage had set in deep within his being, he would step out of the car, ring Watari's doorbell, and just say everything that he felt about the other.

Yet each evening that he did so, Tatsumi ended up going home shortly before dawn sleepless and empty-handed. He hoped and prayed that tonight would be different, most especially since he knew and felt that Watari deserved much more than what transpired between them.

The hours passed so slow and torturous for both Tatsumi and Watari.

As dawn came, Tatsumi started his car and drove home with a heavy heart. He did not know what to say or do before, and for some reason still unknown to him it would be more difficult to do so now.

**End of Chapter Three **

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_**Normal Disclaimer** _

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters. _


	4. A Higher State of Candor

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Four: A Higher State of Candor

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Watari had been sipping his umpteenth cup of coffee before dawn. He and the rest of the Shokan Division had the weekend to spend at their leisure, yet he got up earlier than the usual time. He could not sleep since he arrived home after his dinner date with Tatsumi.

"_So wrong…. I'm so stupid. To think that things will be better if I told the truth…gave it a little push for him to open up…"_ was Watari's ranted thought while he drank his coffee and stared at whatever his gaze felt like resting on.

003 fluttered around where Watari sat – the blonde scientist's favorite spot in the kitchen. She flew around every now and then, at times perching on the spots where Watari would focus his sight on.

When the owl noticed that her master was still absentminded and absolutely upset, she flew towards the kitchen's island and rested on his hand. She then lightly hopped on Watari, starting from the other's left hand and skipping upward until she got to his shoulders.

Once there, 003 stayed on Watari's shoulders. She softly hooted, the sound seemingly laced with concern and sadness.

Looking sideways and noticing 003, Watari faintly smiled. "I'm all right, girl. Just bent out of shape because of him…. "

After Watari remained silent for a while as he spent his time gazing at 003, he sighed as he thought, _"What in hell am I moping about here? It's not my lost – it's __his__! I've never moped about anyone before, and I'm definitely not going to start now!"_

A smile escaped from Watari's lips, letting out another heavy sigh before telling 003, "Why don't we go to Chijou today, girl – just you and me?"

The owl preened her feathers first then made happy noises that Watari knew meant "yes" from her. She then hopped on the kitchen counter and watched Watari enter his bedroom to get dressed.

As Watari marched in the bathroom, his thoughts once again drifted towards Tatsumi, how badly their evening had gone, and how much he wished that he could turn back the clock and correct his mistakes.

Then Watari contemplated on whether he did make a mistake last night, and if he did then what was the mistake. He became more troubled as he could not think of anything that he had done to push last night's conversation into a battle of egos with Tatsumi.

Watari's mind entertained different scenarios for last night's outcome. He thought about not saying anything at all, but he figured that he would eventually go mad if he did not get a sense of closure about Tatsumi and where the two of them truly stand.

The blonde scientist then pondered on using a softer approach by keeping the questions open-ended, yet he dismissed that option as a bad idea since he knew that Tatsumi would manage to squirm his way out of answering the question.

Another scenario that Watari reflected on – which was to grab Tatsumi by the collar without any forewarning and give him a lingering kiss on the lips – made him chuckle ruefully as he thought, _"He'll slap me then send his shadows to bind me. I can see those eyes of his right now…."_

Watari played the last scenario in his mind and his rambled and innately mischief-creating thoughts brought the words _"slap"_ and _"bind"_ a different and much kinkier meaning. He thought about Tatsumi, an impish smile escaping from his lips as he shook his head.

By the time that he gave up his mental dialogue, Watari was already dressed in a turtleneck, thin sweater, and dark pants. He grabbed his favorite brown coat, wore it, and tied back his long, wavy blonde hair in place with a brown silk ribbon.

Once her master was ready, 003 flew towards him and hopped on his shoulder. While the two of them walked towards the door, she made little hooting noises as Watari stroked her head and her body with his gentle fingertips.

When Watari opened the door, his eye caught on a white envelope that lay by the foot of his door. He crouched down, noticing that the envelope had his name written on it.

003 gave Watari some room. She flew away from his shoulder and rested on the small railing nearby the door.

"_Tatsumi's handwriting…"_ thought Watari, his heart racing a bit as he wondered what was in the envelope and what prompted Tatsumi to write to him. He then slid his finger in an open space to pry the envelope open.

Watari pulled out a 4x6 piece of paper which had been folded into two. He unfolded the paper as he stood up, now reading the note which said…

_Watari-san,_

_I'm sorry about last night. I wouldn't blame you if you're still upset with me._

_I would've wanted it to end differently…something of a more pleasant note._

_I wasn't thinking straight last night. I said things that were uncalled for. _

_Please pass by my home anytime today for lunch or supper so that I could make it up to you._

_In case that you don't feel like joining me today, I'd understand. _

_I do hope, however, that I would get to see you today._

_Tatsumi_

The blonde scientist refolded the note, placed it back in the envelope, and slipped it in his coat pocket. He looked at his pet owl, asking her, "He's inviting me to his home today, 003. What do I do?"

The owl made her usual noises – upbeat ones that she would give whenever he invented something new, figured out a solution to a tough clue or problem, or felt that he had a better day at work. She also made the same soft, cheerful noises when he talked about Tatsumi and asked her many times whether he should be more upfront and make efforts to be closer to the secretary.

And now, 003 made those soft hooting noises. The noises changed their pitch, as if she was insisting on her point. After her master still stood there and pondered on the question, she flew and rested on Watari's shoulders, brushing her wing lightly against him.

Knowing what 003 was hinting at, Watari chuckled and said, "All right, all right…. We're going."

-------------------------------------------------------

Tatsumi was tidying up the receiving area of his quaint home – an everyday ritual that he did before going to work, the time spent on the task increasing during the weekend. His kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom had already been tidied up.

Unlike a workday wherein he would be dressed in his suit and tie, Tatsumi was dressed in a polo sweater and pants, his hair still neat but looking a bit more relaxed as he continued working around the house. He wore a blue apron which he intended to remove once he was done working.

The secretary had also finished working on the small gardens at the front and back of his house, also taking the time to gather fresh vegetables and herbs for today's meal. He had also gone to the market and bought some fish and beef, the two items now already cooked and waiting to be served.

As he cleaned the living room, Tatsumi hoped that the one he offended most last night had finally received his note. He most especially hoped that the other would take his invitation, even if the time would just be enough for him to apologize about last night.

At the same time, Tatsumi knew how Watari's temper could be. Throughout the years, the subtle yet very-existent battle of wits and ego between them would normally end up in amiable terms. The two would part ways after their encounter agreeing to disagree to whatever caused the discussion in the first place. If work was involved in the discussion, the work would be done and all would be well afterwards.

Last night, however, was different.

Tatsumi's thoughts lingered on a very important fact – Watari was the only one who knew how to get through him. The blonde scientist was the only one who could talk to him in a matter-of-factly fashion and manage for him to see another perspective away from his own experience.

Throughout Tatsumi's experience – whether it was during his lifetime as a human or his existence as a shinigami – it was Watari who could manage to keep up with his quick and decisive pace.

Chiefs outside the Shokan Division and even Konoe would back off when they saw the first signs of Tatsumi's temper flaring – the piercing blue gaze and the cold demeanor. They would not even dare think of what Tatsumi was capable of doing. They could sense that beneath that professional demeanor was an intelligent man who was not afraid to show what he could truly do – whether it was productive or destructive.

Enma also recognized and sensed the same element of danger that Tatsumi innately wielded within the core of his being. He kept a close eye on the secretary and was pleased to prove time and time again that the latter was loyal even though he was not afraid to speak his mind.

Yet Tatsumi found it refreshing that someone had enough mettle and brains to bout with him at a level that the chiefs, their enemies, or even Enma would not dare go. The someone that he had in mind understood him at a level that no one probably ever did, even probably at a level that he had not reached himself.

While he dusted the fixtures, Tatsumi repeatedly asked himself why he pushed Watari back on all levels as harshly as he did last night. He wracked his brain trying to find a reason why he would lie about his feelings to Watari when the latter had already opened the door for something to happen.

Tatsumi then pondered on a reason that seemed plausible to him – fear. He knew that fear due to many different reasons held him back all these years when it came to Watari, and those same fears were the ones who made him snap back against Watari last night.

But the fear that really resonated strongly within Tatsumi was the same fear that pushed him to end his partnership and relationship with Tsuzuki many years ago. As his mind's eye recalled the many instances that he secretly looked after Tsuzuki all these years, he knew that there were unresolved matters between them when they parted ways.

And now, Tatsumi realized something that stunned him and made him stop for a while. His train of thought, however, was interrupted as the doorbell rang.

Snapping back to his senses, Tatsumi hurried to the door and opened it. His heart beat faster as he saw the new arrival, the latter carrying a freshly-baked strawberry pie from a popular pastry shop in Watari's assigned district. He hid his nervousness with a faint smile, opening the door wider for the other.

Watari came inside the house and offered the pie to Tatsumi once the secretary closed the door. "It's for you."

Tatsumi accepted the pie, saying as he watched Watari take off his shoes and offered slippers for the other to use during his visit, "Thank you. It's a nice thought. Just take a seat in the dining room and I'll get lunch ready for us."

"I'll help you. You know that I hate sitting around and doing nothing."

Glancing at the other and realizing how true the other's statement was, Tatsumi told Watari once he had the small clay pot of miso soup ready to be carried to the dining room, "I'm glad that you came and I'm sorry. I feel terrible about yesterday. I don't know what came over me to say things like that."

"Maybe because what you said was true," was all that Watari could say as he poured some ginger sauce over the crispy-fried butter fish lying on a platter adorned with lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes, and carrots carved to look like little flowers. There was no hint of blame or anger with his words. In fact, his tone was one who accepted the uttered words as facts with a sense of peace.

"But they're not true…or the implications were not true…."

Watari let out a subtle sigh, letting the ladle rest on a saucer. "All of them aren't true?"

A tightlipped Tatsumi gazed into Watari's eyes and said, "When I asked you what made you think that I felt the same way that you did… I…. I wasn't being honest with you. The truth is that I do have feelings for you."

Meeting that gaze and mustering the courage not to back down or become exasperated, Watari calmly asked Tatsumi, "Then why did last night happen the way that it did? Did I say something to offend you? If I did, let me know what it is and I'll apologize for it."

Tatsumi gave Watari a light yet reassuring smile. "You _didn't_ do anything wrong. We've always had a rapport with each other, so you should've been free to speak to me as candidly as you did last night. I was out of line last night. What I should've done is told you that I need more time to think, not snap at you."

The two then stood by the stove. A long period of silence stood between them as the exchange of gazes continued.

Tatsumi then broke the silence, his soft smile heartfelt and apologetic as he moved closer to Watari. He held the other's hand. "I don't want things between us to end the way that they did last night. To be more accurate, I want things to begin between us…the way that you and I going at a direction where we both feel we should go."

Watari could not say anything, the lack of words being compensated by the affectionate tightening of his reciprocal hold on Tatsumi's hand. He gazed into the other's eyes as the two were drawn closer to each other.

Lifting his free hand and touching Watari's cheek, Tatsumi's smile became warmer. He took in a subtle yet deep breath, drawing the other closer to him and planting a lingering kiss on the other's lips. He eventually closed his eyes, letting those pent-up feelings which had been barely satisfied from watching and loving the other at a distance be released…realized…be made known to the other.

Once Tatsumi drew away from the kiss that he and Watari shared so that they could catch their breath, he could see the gentle smile from Watari as well as the happy tears that beaded at the corner of the other's eyes.

Being so tender and affectionate, Tatsumi wiped away the tears that streamed down Watari's cheek. He then rested his forehead against the other's forehead, his entire being still in the state of euphoric rush from the kiss that they had as he whispered, "What do you see in me, Watari Yutaka? You still want to be with me even though I forced you to do an autopsy?"

Watari had a pursed-lipped smirk when he replied, "You owe me twice now - one for that unforgivable autopsy you made me do, and two for last night. I know that this lunch we're about to have is good, but what do you propose?"

Tatsumi chuckled. "Sneaky devil. All right. I'll pick you up at your home by six in the evening, and then we go to Chijou. We could do something other than just have dinner. A movie or a play, perhaps? Maybe rent some videos and watch here at my place after dinner...any choice will be my treat."

With his eyes narrowing a bit and then with an eyebrow raising, Watari asked, "Are you feverish?"

The secretary blinked, stumped over what he heard from the other before he managed to ask, "What makes you say that?"

"You, Tatsumi Seiichiro, proposing to take me out for dinner and a movie on your expense?"

After shaking his head and chuckling a bit, Tatsumi said, "I feel bad. I want to make up for it. And if I don't, I'll keep hearing about that autopsy that I coaxed you to do for us every single opportunity that you get."

Tatsumi then gazed into the other's eyes and gave the other a heartwarming smile, his blue eyes reflecting how happy he was. "I also want to celebrate...mark today as a special day for the two of us."

The two then exchanged meaningful smiles before Watari initiated a kiss between them, the kiss lingering and passionate...the two not mindful of the fact that their lunch was getting cold.

**End of Chapter Four

* * *

**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._


	5. The MakeUp Date

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Five: The Make-up Date

* * *

**

_"Wow,"_ was all that Watari managed to mumble under his breath as the two broke away from the kiss that Tatsumi and he had shared. His honey-colored eyes were still locked on the other's gaze and his heart was still racing from the kiss and embrace.

Tatsumi smiled, that heartfelt gesture capturing so many thoughts and emotions bottled up for many years. He caressed the other's cheek and planted a more innocent kiss on the other's lips before saying, "Let us talk about our second date over lunch. The food's probably cold by now."

Watari blushed a bit and stroked his hair, having his hand rest for a while on the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry."

This time, Tatsumi's smile became warmer still. "Why are you sorry, Watari-san? _I'm not._"

Being playfully dismissive, Watari replied, "You're just saying that to be kind."

"Since when, pray tell, have I ever leaned more towards kindness than the rational or practical?"

Watari blinked and then said, "Hardly ever…."

"Enough said, then… If there was no food waiting, it would've been much longer," was Tatsumi's statement as he took the pot of soup to the dining area for their meal.

"I'm proposing our actual date out to be tomorrow night," said Watari once the two have settled in their respective places and were about to eat.

"Do you already have plans for tonight?"

"Stay in tonight and watch movies with you. At least two movies – one being your choice and the other one's mine. We went out last night. I want to relax tonight but still spend time together with you."

Tatsumi nodded. "All right. Why don't you spend the entire day and evening with me? You're even more than welcome to sleep over."

"So you'll spoil me with good food and sake tonight?" asked Watari with a disarming hopeful look in his face along with a soft smile that escaped from his lips.

"I suppose…" was what Tatsumi quietly said, trying not to laugh but being unable to hide his amusement over the other's giddy, child-like antics.

"Would you do me two favors, Tatsumi?"

Gazing at Watari, Tatsumi was all ears.

"First, I'd like to call you something other than your last name. Second, call me Yutaka. It's all right if we call each other as we normally have done over the years in the office. If we're together…if we have privacy…I'd just like every time that we could get be made for us – even if it's just simply by calling each other by our first names."

Tatsumi listened intently and gave the other a probing gaze. Gauging that Watari was serious about the request, he said, "Only four people had called me by my first name or nickname – Father, my sister, Mother, and a father figure since I was a child. No one has called me by my first name since Mako-san – my father figure – had passed away."

After a long pause for silence, Tatsumi added, "They called me _Seii. _I'll be honored and humbled if you begin calling me by that name, _Yutaka_…."

The two exchanged meaningful smiles as they ate in silence. From time to time, they stole glances in-between conversation about how they were going to spend the weekend. As much as many options have now been placed for them to choose from, the two men already had a silent agreement to make this getting-to-know-each-other weekend a memorable one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Hmmm….two dramas and a musical," said Tatsumi with an amused smirk as he walked home with Watari with movies and groceries while Watari carried a duffel bag of clothes and personal sundries for his weekend stay.

"Well, you're the chicken who doesn't want to watch a horror movie," was Watari's wry comeback, a smile also escaping from his lips. "What's so scary about _Storm of the Century?"_

Remembering the movie that Watari initially wanted, Tatsumi said, "Think about the plot, Yutaka. It's a story about a demon who preys on an entire town hit hard by an unprecedented winter storm and holds them captive…preying on the poor people's fears before he kills them or he pushes them to suicide – all because he wants them to give him what he wants from them. "

"Yeah... So…?"

"Considering what we've all been through in our last case, I just want to stay away from work and anything that would remind me of work for just this weekend. I did tell you that I want to watch it with you next time…_next_ weekend, if you're free. I also made a compromise."

Watari sighed and nodded, letting Tatsumi know in his usual carefree way that he was all right with the compromise. "Well, an additional movie to watch – one that we'd both like to watch – was a good additional incentive to give up on _Storm of the Century_ for now. You already got me to say _'yes'_ when you said that you wanted to watch it next weekend."

"I've read the book before. The book's great, so I'd love to see the movie. The topic just hits too close to home. Too close about our last case and too close about what we do for a living. I thought that you'd already had enough crying for a while after what we've been through but I guess not. _Tuesdays with Morrie _and _My Fair Lady_, huh…?"

"Oh, you'll love them. You'll see," was Watari's reply about the two movies that Tatsumi just mentioned. "I haven't watched_ Ikiru_ before but I've heard many good things about it."

Tatsumi, still in a cheerful mood, explained as he closed the distance between them as they walked side-by-side. "It's a tearjerker, too. It makes one think twice about how short life really is, and if there's ever really a thing as living a full life."

"Well, at least I'm glad that you gave up on choosing that 12-disc documentary about economics over _Ikiru._"

"Excuse me, Yutaka, but getting a glimpse of how history's events shaped economics is an excellent and educational choice."

Watari then deadpanned with a wry smirk, "Yes, I know…but each disk is two-and-a-half hours long. I do plan on spending time with you in much more varied ways this weekend. My plan _doesn't_ include falling asleep and asking you what's happening every time I doze off from that economic epic that you're proposing earlier."

Tatsumi chuckled quietly, for he knew from the beginning what Watari's general answer would be. He actually showed that documentary and worked on persuading the blonde scientist to watch it with him just so he would know _how_ Watari would say _'no'_ to the suggestion.

Well, actually, Tatsumi also thought that Watari would say_ 'no'_ to conduct an autopsy on Doctor Kawasawa's remains but the other surprised him. At least, he was accurate with guessing how the blonde scientist would react this time.

The two finally reached Tatsumi's house and once Tatsumi opened the door, he told Watari, "If you go towards the hallway and make a right, you'll see three rooms – the master bedroom where I sleep in, the guest bathroom, and a guest room. Why don't you freshen up while I prepare for supper? There's a fresh set of towels, washcloths, a robe, and slippers for you to use. You'll find them in the master's bedroom."

"Where should I put my stuff, Seii?" asked Watari – not really realizing the implied impact of his innocent inquiry or how it potentially put both of them on the spot until after he had asked Tatsumi the question.

"Whichever makes you feel most comfortable," said Tatsumi with a smile. "Make this your home, too. You can use either or both rooms and bathrooms, if you wish."

"I'll put my bag in the guest room for now. I could always move it later."

"All right. Just freshen up and I'll get supper going."

Tatsumi and Watari went about their respective tasks, each one thinking about how surreal yet wonderful today has been. The mental conversation happening inside their respective heads continued well until supper, the two enjoying each other's company much more comfortably than yesterday evening's date.

After supper and during the clean-up, the two talked about anything that came up – all of them topics of interest that became springboards to get to know each other much more intimately such as hobbies, the political and socio-economic environment when they were still alive, the feelings that they had gone through as they were transitioning from recently-judged deceased to shinigami, what jobs they have held prior to being assigned at the Shokan Division, and much more.

The goal of getting to know each other was well-accomplished as one learned more about the other. Both were truthful yet were cautious not to delve into matters which were too melancholic or complicated. In the back of their respective minds, the two believed that the time for such deeper-level discussions and sharing would come later in the relationship rather than now.

And now, something so unexpected yet wonderful was going on between them…and both felt and wanted that ambiance to remain that way for them at least for this weekend.

Once they were ready with light snacks and drinks for them to enjoy as they watched, Tatsumi stood by the light switch while Watari turned on the television and operated the DVD player to play tonight's first movie – _My Fair Lady._

When Watari took his place in the middle of Tatsumi's couch, Tatsumi turned off the light and made Watari inwardly smirk while thinking,_ "Tatsumi and his frugal ways… I mean Seii…"_

Tatsumi sat beside Watari, the two just feeling comfortable with each other. He was happy that Watari felt at home. He grabbed the big bowl of lightly salted buttered popcorn, propping it between them so that it was within easy reach.

As to Watari, he kept his eye on the movie. He had watched this movie so many times with Tsuzuki and he was so giddy to be with Tatsumi. As Professor Higgins showed up for the first time in the movie, he exclaimed, "Seii, doesn't the Professor remind you of someone?"

Tatsumi blinked then frowned, trying to give a thoughtful answer to Watari's question before he replied, "No, he doesn't. Who does he remind you of? If you're thinking about _Pygmalion_, that's where the play has been loosely based on."

Watari chuckled lightly, being so relaxed. "No, no… I know that it's a modern interpretation of the Pygmalion and Galatea myth. _He_ just reminds me of _you_."

The popcorn went down the wrong way and Tatsumi coughed, feeling the need to drink water before he managed to ask in a voice that was still trying to clear the remaining impediment in his throat, "What makes you say that?"

"He's such a stickler about English as you are with your numbers. Come to think about it, though, I see your forehead crinkle in frustration when you see grammatical errors on the reports that pass by Kacho's desk. Your red-lead accounting pencil turns into a proofreader's pencil whenever that happens."

"You make it sound as if I'm so annoying," said Tatsumi with an amused smile, now recovered from his coughing fit.

"Endearing…not annoying…. It's annoying when one can't handle the pressure. But you know how the case is between us most of the time."

Tatsumi laughed then remarked, "Because you manage to dish it out and throw it back at me…in an annoying yet at the same time endearing fashion…"

Watari's wry smirk reflected in his honey-colored eyes so warmly. "_See?_ Do you get my point? I hate to say it but he's as anal as you…adorable _and_ anal. The good thing is that you're younger than he is."

After having his smile radiate more warmly for the other, Tatsumi stole an innocent kiss from the other – planting that kiss on the other's cheek. The two exchanged gazes until the first notes to another song began to play, prompting the two to be presently contented with an exchange of smiles.

Once the mutual understanding had been reached that they would resume something much later, the two concentrated on enjoying the film.

However, that moment also prompted the two to put the popcorn bowl back on the coffee table so that they could sit closer together…closing any gap between them. There were no racing hearts, apprehensions, and reservations. Last night's hurtful episode seemed to be eons ago – long-forgotten.

Then time passed so quickly….

The songs, the dialogue, the colorful costumes, the superb acting…everything about the film sent an overall positive vibe that made the two cozy with each other – with Tatsumi reclined on the sofa while Watari snuggled against him.

Watari, humming along from time to time and feeling so sated with this very moment, used Tatsumi's chest as a pillow. His leg draped over the other's leg, the two letting the moment 'just be' between them.

Watari only shifted from his comfortable place when the movie was over, motioning for Tatsumi to stay put until he returned. He quickly took out the DVD and placed the second movie – _Ikiru_. It was not long until he became engaged with the film, identifying so intimately with the main character and empathizing with his plight. In a way, watching the black-and-white film reminded him of how as shinigami they all watched the lives of their retrievals before they take them to Enma for judgment. He could also understand why Tatsumi recommended the film and would not be surprised if the latter had watched it as many times as he did _My Fair Lady._

_Ikiru _was sad, yet Watari instantly became fond of the film. He snuggled with Tatsumi, at times having silent tears flow from him as he felt so sorry for the main character. At times, he could not help but smile at the main character's moments of small triumphs.

Just as it did during the first movie that the two watched, time flew quickly once more.

"How many times have you watched this film, Seii?" asked Watari a few minutes after the film had ended and the credits were being displayed.

Tatsumi groaned a bit, stretching his back and rubbing Watari's back at the same time. He said in a gentle tone, "Many times, but I never get tired of it. Akira Kurosawa's a great director and I love all his works, but _Ikiru _has been one of my all-time favorites. Watanabe just reminds me that there's hope for all...even for those such as us…that we could still do some good even if we think that it's too late for us already."

Sighing contentedly, stretching with gusto, and then snuggling comfortably against Tatsumi once more, Watari then said, "I envy Watanabe. He left a legacy behind – no mater how small it is. He left without any regrets…tying up all the loose ends with such passion. If I ever die again, I want to be able to do what he did. I don't want to die without being able to say goodbye to the world and those who I love. I don't want to die as suddenly as I did the first time."

Rubbing Watari's back affectionately and taking in a deep cleansing breath, Tatsumi pondered for a couple of seconds and then replied, "I don't think all of us in the Shokan Division ever had been given such a rare gift. I wish for the same thing as you do – another death, a more fulfilling one the better. What you just said reminded me of the speech that Kurosaki-kun read in our last case. Do and say everything that you can for your loved ones to let them know that you love them because they're the ones that make both life and death meaningful."

"Yes, I remember," was Watari's thoughtful reply as he looked up and met Tatsumi's gaze. "Whatever happened back there was a wake-up call for all of us. I wonder if Tsuuri Troy's all right now. He was so young when he died."

"As young as Kurosaki-kun…. Is _that_ what you're thinking? Let us just pray to the gods that Tsuuri-kun's soul is in good hands and that he's now in peace along with his loved ones. As to Kurosaki-kun, he exists so he still has a destiny to fulfill. The same truth applies to all of us at the Shokan Division, you and me as well. It'll just take some time and more reminders to be more proactive about matters of the mind, heart, and soul."

Watari then snuggled a bit more, his eyes closed and then smiled. "A happy musical and a thought-provoking tearjerker…two opposite ends of the emotional cline. I love movie night."

The blonde scientist's words made Tatsumi grin as well. "Me, too…."

"What time is it?"

Drawing his arm away from snuggling Watari and checking his wristwatch before resuming the affectionate position, Tatsumi replied, "It's 11:30 p.m. Are you ready for the next movie?"

"May we save _Tuesdays with Morrie_ for tomorrow's viewing? Let us watch it tomorrow before we go out for dinner. We could also stay in again and relax here with a movie and each other tomorrow evening as well, if you wish."

"Are you sleepy now?"

"I don't know. I just want to relax with you…just like this…"

"We could go to bed now, if you want to be more comfortable."

Watari nodded, which prompted Tatsumi to get up from the couch. The two did their respective stretching and yawning before they walked towards the bedrooms.

By the time that Tatsumi held his hand and gave him a gaze inviting him to share a bed with him tonight, Watari said with a soft smile, "I'll get my stuff."

After Watari retrieved his stuff and closed the door to Tatsumi's bedroom, Tatsumi was already in the bathroom getting ready for bed. He then emerged from the bathroom, telling Watari, "All yours. There are fresh towels hanging by the rack for you to use."

With a huge smile on his face, Watari told the secretary, "You look great without your glasses, Seii. It's the first time that I've seen you without them."

A pajama-donned Tatsumi blinked, his reply being a lighthearted smile and the slight blush of embarrassment tingeing his cheeks. His cheeks then turned a deeper red once Watari went inside the bathroom, the darker flush due to the saucy wink that Watari gave him seconds ago.

Watari and that trademark wink – it never ceased to make Tatsumi blush and think about the other every time that it happened.

The secretary went under the covers, lay on his side, and then closed his eyes while offering his silent petition to the gods, _"This is such a good night. Thank you for making it possible and bringing us closer together…even though my stubbornness gets the best of me most of the time."_

Unfortunately for Tatsumi, Watari normally took long in terms of getting ready for bed. So by the time that Watari was done, Tatsumi who waited for a little while had already fallen asleep.

Watari sat on the bed by Tatsumi's side watching the other sleep. He could not help but smile, his silent tears of joy beading at the corner of his eyes. From time to time, he wondered if the other was dreaming right now and if the other _was_ dreaming then what was the dream all about?

As he allowed the emotions to course inside him, Watari could not help but lean forward and plant a soft, lingering, and affectionate kiss on Tatsumi's lips.

The blonde secretary heard the other's even breathing change as the kiss deepened, with him feeling the sleeping one slowly but surely awaken to reciprocate the gesture. He was encouraged even more when he felt the other's hand rest on him one more time, their kiss lingering longer than expected.

As the kiss continued between them, Tatsumi drew Watari closer to him until both of them were on the bed. The explorative and passionate kisses that he shared with the other were accompanied with an exchange of affectionate caresses.

What now began for the two of them was the fulfillment of what they have silently promised each other earlier when they were watching _My Fair Lady_. The loving and demonstrative ministrations pushed matters along into something and somewhere more intimate.

And it was somewhere figurative that the two of them wanted to go to, but had never had to courage to risk everything and invite the other for that journey until now.

**End of Chapter Five

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**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori, Tsuuri Troy, and other original characters._

_I also do not own Storm of the Century (Stephen King), Tuesdays with Morrie, My Fair Lady, and Ikiru. They belong to their respective authors/creators/writers/etc. – all individuals who hold rights to these awesome works._

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_The speech that Watari and Tatsumi were referring to - the one that they were talking about during their discussion of Ikiru - was the commencement speech that Kurosaki Hisoka had read in Kyoto Files Revisited (the final chapter). __The final chapter also had the events which opened up this story between Watari and Tatsumi._


	6. The Morning After

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Six: The Morning After**

_**Warning**_

_Lemons up ahead..._

It was before dawn when Tatsumi stirred in his bed and fluttered his eyes open. The first thing that he noticed was his nakedness followed by this sated feeling accompanied by dull aches throughout his body that could be easily remedied once he had stretched and gone about his daily activities.

Tatsumi stayed lying down in bed, staring at the ceiling for a long time after he glanced sideways to confirm that he was not dreaming again just as he normally did every evening before last night.

There was Watari, naked as well. Still covered by the thin blanket that the two of them shared since last night and his hair free from the ribbon that he normally used to secure his long blonde hair, he looked innocent as he slept.

When Tatsumi wanted to have a closer look, he sat up on the bed taking every precaution not to wake up the other. Once he was comfortable and was reassured that Watari was undisturbed, he took time to note every detail as his eyes roamed on the other. The moonlight was his only source of illumination, and it provided such a sensuously comforting veil to the apple of his eye.

Watari slept on his back, the thin blanket covering him still giving away the well-toned shape of his limber body. One would never know that he had some well-defined muscles because he normally wore a loose lab coat or a regular coat over two additional layers of clothing – mostly a comfortable denim, corduroy, or cotton long-sleeved shirt over a turtleneck.

As to Watari's lower body, the thin blanket gave away the contours of his long legs and a hint of his manhood.

Tatsumi smiled softly, remembering that all the illusions that he had about Watari's body had been completely shattered last night. He was tempted to sweep away the unruly blonde locks that partially covered the other's face, but he held back since he did not wish to disturb the other's sleep. His azure gaze on the other betrayed his thoughts…thoughts veiled with affection, passion, and desire.

Tatsumi's mind panned out everything that had happened last night – the home movies, the exchange of gazes between Watari and him, the comfortable positions that the two were in, the brush of each other's touches stirring the lust although each incident was accidental.

The secretary took in a subtle breath, a warmer smile escaping from his lips as he remembered how at ease the two of them were with each other as one laughed, cried, and sighed contentedly from the movies that they watched.

Then of course, there were the touches and caresses between them which started on the couch as they lounged on it and watched movies…with Watari's warm yet still-clothed body draped on Tatsumi.

That was nothing compared to the bedroom…

Tatsumi closed his eyes, his mind's eye replaying those memorable scenes…stirring his senses. He could smell Watari's hair as he reminisced how he playfully kissed the other's neck and behind the ears. He could taste and feel the other's supple lips as the two exchanged kisses. The smell and feel of the other's smooth skin stirred emotions that were indescribable to him…emotions ranging from the affectionate to the euphoric.

Considering that this was the first time that the two of them relaxed their defenses and inhibitions, Tatsumi took in another deep breath as his gaze continued to rest on the sleeping Watari…his memory still vivid as to how the hungry kisses and the intimate caresses led to something more carnal and primal.

The euphoria from last night rekindled within Tatsumi, the amorous heat emanating from the core of his being and spread throughout his body slowly but surely. Everything was fresh in his mind – the teasing caresses, the kisses which ranged from the affectionate to the hungry, the preparation which one showed consideration towards the other, the thrusts which started deep then the subsequent thrusts becoming harder, faster, and deeper to bring both of them closer to the edge, the climax wherein one filled the other.

Then there was the afterglow…the moments of near non-movements wherein the two allowed those remaining sensations to ripple throughout their bodies. During those moments, one could feel affectionate kisses and touches being planted on his body from the other as if his body was being given adoration. Once the sated feelings sit and place them in peace, the two enjoy the intimate rest where their naked bodies were dangerously close to each other…the exchange of heat, affection, and ministrations rekindling years' worth of pent-up emotions for the other.

The kisses resumed once more…starting so affectionately innocent and escalating into the lustful and needy…the two starting the cycle once more and completing it.

Last night's lovemaking was reminiscent of how Watari and he were with each other for many yearr. They were in constant battle of wits and dominance, one knowing what to anticipate from the other, one opening up and revealing things that were new to the other, one responding in kind with the other's boldness.

It was a night full of expectations fulfilled and unexpected surprises. They took turns, one giving himself fully to the other in so many ways although the other could tell that there was still a tinge of endearing reservation reminiscent to a bride being deflowered by his groom for the first time on their honeymoon night.

Tatsumi's mind was lost to his daydreaming although his gaze was still on the one he shared himself with last night, a smile escaping from his lips as the word _"honeymoon"_ came to his mind. Last night was indeed a honeymoon for him, and he wondered if the other felt the same way.

Then Tatsumi's smile became warmer as he recalled their respective moans, Watari's nails digging on his skin and planting scratches and marks on his skin, the escalating ministrations between them, everything so indicatory that last night was indeed a honeymoon between them that was long overdue.

"We might never get out of bed if you keep teasing me like that...although if you keep it up, I won't complain…."

Tatsumi snapped out of his reverie and his sight focused on a now-awake and warmly-smiling Watari.

The blonde scientist was now laying on his side, his gaze transfixed on Tatsumi. He was dreaming another variation of last night's lovemaking. He slowly but surely stirred from wakefulness as he felt Tatsumi's fingertips absentmindedly yet sensuously caressing his thigh, his sleepiness not the only thing that the secretary had managed to stir.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," stammered Tatsumi as he withdrew his hand, not realizing that he was acting out the emotions evoked through his mind's eye.

"Don't be. I'm glad," said Watari with a smile as he touched the other's hand, Tatsumi's hand resting in-between Watari's thumb and index finger…his thumb caressing the back of Tatsumi's hand.

As their gazes met, Tatsumi had a tinge of shyness reflected in those expressive blue eyes of his. To have what he had dreamed of for the longest time happen tonight, he was still in euphoria. He watched the other from a distance for many years now, the idea of spending time with Watari more than enough to make his heart race and for him to crawl back in his emotional shell.

And to go beyond that dream…to actually make it real…to make love with the center of his secret affections…Tatsumi was speechless, his happiness reflected in his eyes and the way that he gazed at Watari.

"Come back to bed, Seii. It's Sunday…so we have more time for ourselves to relax…to sleep in," was Watari's whispered invitation to Tatsumi, a warm smile escaping from those supple lips that the latter kissed with such wild and hungry abandon making the invitation much harder to resist.

And the cycle that they repeated throughout the night resumed…this time the two much more unafraid in trying something new.

* * *

The head maître d' at _Château Badeau _escorted Watari, 003, and Tatsumi to a table, another waiter relieving the new arrivals of their umbrella and trench coats as the rain continued to beat outside.

Tatsumi wore his usual suit and shirt combo minus the tie and the vest. One button of his shirt was purposefully left unbuttoned, his jacket open, the looser shirt's collar resting above his jacket's lapel. He was not used to wearing his suit this way, but he tried it as an experiment and as a form of appeasement for Watari. After all, he was technically still in payback phase for the ruined first date. Secondly, he liked what he saw once he inspected his attire before the mirror so it was worth the try.

Watari, on the other hand, wore a black turtleneck sweater, a brown houndstooth blazer, and black pants…a black muffler loosely wrapped around his neck.

Watari was inwardly happy that the man accommodated his request to provide them a more private booth. He could also see that Tatsumi appreciated the space given to them.

003 was also in better spirits this time around, the first notable reason being that the waiter was nicer towards her. Second was the fact that her master was happy – not the giddy happiness brought by good food, delectable sweets, or fine sake…but real, long-lastinghappiness that only a relationship and contentment could bring.

Once their orders have been placed, Tatsumi leaned on the table and said, "That last movie we watched was nice."

"_Tuesdays with Morrie?"_ beamed Watari as he passed the small breadbasket to Tatsumi. "I love that movie. I couldn't stop crying when I first saw it. I still cry to this very day."

Tatsumi gave his date a pursed-lipped smile. "Me too… Who wouldn't? Sometimes, life's lessons can be learned from the oddest of places in the oddest of times. What he learned from Morrie and how he learned it from him…it just reminded me of how we stumble through life's lessons. We pretty much learn from our retrievals…the dying teaching us life's valuable lessons."

"It's never too late to learn – no mistake too great to fix."

"I'm suppose you're right," was Tatsumi's reply as he poured tea for Watari and then for him. He then broke the bread roll in half and then separated that half into tiny pieces for 003 to enjoy.

The evening was romantic, the intimacy only known between Watari and Tatsumi. Although it was raining, they took a stroll towards Lover's Bridge – an effort for both of them to retrace their steps and make new, happier memories.

Since they were the only ones there, Tatsumi indulged in a public display of affection. He drew Watari close to him, kissing the other so passionately…the kiss reminiscent of the first of many that they shared in his bedroom.

Time slipped by so quickly and became inconsequential….

Tatsumi snuggled with Watari for warmth and affection, the two naked under the covers in his bed. He was more than happy to reciprocate the passionate peck that Watari had planted on his lips with a lingering kiss of his own…the kiss progressing into a series of explorative ones.

After a long while of kissing and embracing, Watari drew away from the kiss and rested his head on Tatsumi's chest – letting the other envelop him in an affectionate and protective embrace, his leg resting on Tatsumi's leg.

Remembering how adorable the other looked this morning while locked in a reverie, Watari innocently asked the other, "What were you thinking about this morning? You were so deep in thought."

Tatsumi smiled, holding back a chuckle and blushing because he realized that he was caught in the act. "You…us...last night… Everything…."

"_And…?"_

The smile from Tatsumi's lips became more generous. He kissed Watari's forehead and whispered, "I wanted to kick myself. I couldn't understand why I waited too long for this to happen."

This time, Watari did them a favor by chuckling while snuggling closer to Tatsumi. His leg took comfort resting in-between Tatsumi's legs as he closed the gap between his body and Tatsumi's body. "That's all in the past, now. It's a beginning for us, remember? Isn't that what you said?"

"Yes…"

"I just wonder about Monday….tomorrow…."

Tatsumi blinked, looking at Watari. _"Monday...?"_

"Work, remember? Would you have any reservations in letting everyone know that we're dating?"

"No, I don't. However, I want to remain discreet as much as I could. I want our business to remain our business. No admissions and no denials. I'll let things fall the way they wish to fall in their own due time. I'm more concerned about what's important for us. We can still be the professionals that we are…or try to be…."

Watari nodded in approval and then shifted, once again laying on his side to face Tatsumi…his head supported by his hand. He looked at Tatsumi and told the other in a gentle, sensuous voice, "You look handsome without glasses, Seii. I didn't realize how blue your eyes were until these last few days."

Blushing a bit from the compliment, Tatsumi smiled, "Same goes with you…warm honey-colored brown…so expressive…at the same time found out what you've been hiding under that bundle of clothing you wear everyday."

"You wear a suit…leaves much for the imagination to play with…."

After drawing Watari close to him and stealing a kiss, Tatsumi whispered back, "What makes you think that there's not much for the imagination to play with while naked? What do you think I was doing when you woke up?"

"True, true…" was Watari's chuckled response. He then kissed Tatsumi, this time wanting something beyond the kisses and the caresses. He pressed his body against the other in need, encouraged more as the other did the same.

Tatsumi let his entire being soak in his baser needs and deep-rooted affection for Watari, letting go of his reservations as he let his hands, lips, and his entire body do all the thinking for him. No more rationalization. No more hesitation. No more questions raised by his self-consciousness or sense of prim and proper. No more hiding behind a façade of not needing to intimately connect with anyone.

Each kiss, caress, ministration that the two shared made them respectively melt into the moment…letting things go and letting things be…

As to Tatsumi, his heart raced and ached as Watari kissed and touched him in the right places. He was caught in a quandary wherein he was so afraid to make the mistakes of the past while at the same time so fearful that he was missing the small slice of heaven in his sad existence if he did not let Watari in.

Tsuzuki was the first one who Tatsumi had been intimate with. He loved Tsuzuki, their whirlwind romance and their professional partnership ending after three years of intimate contact. The days of intimacy with Tsuzuki Asato might have been long over, but he wondered as to whether it was truly over for him or Tsuzuki. He ended all romantic and intimate matters between him and Tsuzuki very abruptly, if he would call his half-hearted effort of telling Tsuzuki that things were over between them professionally _and _personally. On that fateful moment, he referrered to their relationship as a _partnership_, called their intimate activities as _work_, and himself as _partner_ rather than lover.

If someone objective would analyze Tatsumi's words that day, one could say that Tatsumi was loud and clear about ending his professional partnership with Tsuzuki. However, one could successfully argue that the same clarity could not be applied in ending his intimate relationship with Tsuzuki yet he figured that the same conversation applied to both matters. In fact, he believed that what he said and the way that he said his statement was more than enough to send the message across especially since Tsuzuki did as Tatsumi would have wanted him to do - stayed away from him and not expect anything from him anymore.

To this very day, Tatsumi was ashamed to admit that he could not handle Tsuzuki as well as understand the true reason why he severed the relationship and turned his back from the other. Sure, he had explained to Hisoka that Tsuzuki brought back memories of his melancholic and suicidal mother. He did tell the younger shinigami the truth, but part of him felt that there was something more than just that explanation.

The years after that break-up helped Tatsumi lessen the guilt that he carried regarding whether he was cruel in severing nearly all of his relationships with Tsuzuki...or whether or not he did end nearly of his relationships with Tsuzuki that day. If things were _really _over between them, then why was it so easy to utter that lie to Watari that there were only _four_ people who called him Seii? The truth was that there were _five _people in his life and afterlife who called him Seii - his father, his mother, his sister, his mentor, and _Tsuzuki_ during their intimate days. If matters were truly over between him and Tsuzuki, then why could he not disclose such a simple fact of the past to Watari? Was he afraid that Watari would get hurt just as Tsuzuki would?

Tatsumi remembered that Watari was not Tsuzuki…that Watari had a feisty streak in him that would not hesitate to put him in his place. The blonde scientist was the one who was bold enough to see through his mask and rip it off from him, leaving him so vulnerable yet free.

As that truth sank in for Tatsumi, his mind began to stop thinking and allowed his body to take over the thinking…to concentrate on his body's needs as well as his lover's desires. His body arched as a spike of lust coursed throughout his body from Watari kissing his firm stomach and suckling the flesh, the latter purposefully planting a trail of marks on his skin. He clenched the sheets as the other prepared him, time being taken to explore him and tease him further.

When his body totally betrayed him since he could no longer bite back the moan escaping from his lips, Tatsumi closed his eyes and let the fires of lust nearly consume him as Watari took him.

The two indulged with one making the other feel as much as he could, the touches between them making the experience more passionate…their needs brought to faster immediacy. They built a momentum leading towards what they both wanted – no words spoken or prodding done to be in sync…to be touched at the right places at the right time.

The pace then quickened as the thrusts became harder and deeper as well. Such need and want communicated through how they exchanged half-lidded glances, how their bodies moved to keep up with the other, and how the complex chemistry between them equated so magically in the bedroom.

The movements became more urgent, erratic…with Tatsumi meeting Watari's thrusts and Watari angling to delve deeper into the other…with Watari making sure that Tatsumi had been satisfied before he allowed his needs to be sated shortly thereafter.

As the two barely moved, letting those lustful sensations continue coursing through their veins and mixing with their adrenaline, Watari planted random affectionate kisses on Tatsumi's chest as he remained inside…all while the other enveloped him in an embrace. They were sated…at peace in so many aspects.

In a small part of a large realm such as Meifu – the land filled with hapless souls harboring their respective woes and laments – Tatsumi and Watari found each other. In each other's company, they uncovered something new and complex, and shared a slice of happiness when they have surrendered having such priceless treasures when they became shinigami.

For Tatsumi and Watari, the world only included each other and the bed that they now shared.

**End of Chapter Six**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._

_I also do not own Tuesdays with Morrie. It belongs to the authors/creators/writers/ individuals who hold rights to these awesome works._

* * *

* * *


	7. Mondays with Konoe

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Seven: Mondays with Konoe

* * *

**

There were only a few instances in Tatsumi's existence as a shinigami wherein he felt disjointed, most if not all of those instances having to do with someone close to his heart.

Everyone was wondering where the real Tatsumi Seiichiro had gone and who was the absentminded look-alike sitting behind the desk.

And why…?

Two weeks' worth of coherent train of thought about the Shokan Division, JuOhCho, and EnmaCho's respective budgets for the next fiscal year was now lost to Tatsumi. Since he came in this morning at his usual time, he fumbled through the work with a splitting headache now pounding so mercilessly by ten in the morning.

Before noon, the Gushoshin Twins' complaints about Tsuzuki whining for them to lift their self-imposed ban against him from their library fell in Tatsumi's deaf ears. The librarians were miffed as they flew out of his office muttering curses and threatening to quit, their tempers flaring up substantially as the secretary was just so "out of it" to even make any effort to appease them as he normally did.

Hisoka came in Tatsumi's office to review the reports reflecting the expenses that Tsuzuki and he had incurred over the past two month. The emerald-eyed shinigami ended up leaving the office four minutes later with reports in tow and no review process, closing the door behind him and wondering what in the world was wrong with his normally-astute superior. To make matters worse, he picked up the spiritual traces from the latter's cluttered brain and muddled mood…so now he also had a headache and was in a snippier mood than usual.

Around one in the afternoon, Terazuma and Wakaba walked in Tatsumi's office regarding their ongoing case and walked out of there more confused than they were before they came to seek guidance.

As to Tsuzuki, he sat across from Watari mostly all day – the two working together on a clue that he and Hisoka had gathered Friday last week. He was happy to sit with the blonde scientist so that he could give Hisoka and the latter's foul mood time to settle.

What made Tsuzuki happier was that Watari seemed to be in an uber-chipper mood as the latter had gone about his tasks with a giddy day-dreamy spring in his steps and ways. Sure, Watari seemed distracted to him but his friend exuded an aura of contentment and joy. He wondered what the reason for Watari's good mood was but for now, he would just settle basking in the lighthearted aura that his friend had been unknowingly sharing with him since he arrived in the laboratory.

Konoe had been observing the flow of people coming in and out of Tatsumi's office. He picked up the strange vibes from the bewildered staff. He heard Watari whistling a happy tune and talking animatedly to Tsuzuki at the laboratory.

Something was just off, and there was a moment wherein Konoe wondered whether Watari had spiked the water cooler and had been waiting for the results of his experiment. He looked at the paper cup in his hand which was now half-filled with water. He took a long, hard swallow about the fact that he already had his fill of water from the dispenser.

Even if Konoe pushed paranoia aside, Tatsumi was spaced out – or to be more accurate, _too_ spaced out. He cringed upon the thought that Watari acted as if he was up to something impish. Then he was about to slap his forehead as he saw Hisoka continue work with a scowl on his face, with him knowing that the young shinigami was having a headache from picking up this aura of weirdness within the office. His head shook more as he saw the others' respectively baffled looks as they continued work.

Konoe had to get to the bottom of this anomaly.

"_One mystery at a time,"_ thought Konoe as he looked and smelled the remaining water in his up.

Konoe then figured that any efforts to analyze or understand anything going on today was completely moot.

After letting out a sigh and before downing the contents of his cup, Konoe said to himself, _"Screw it. If I turn into a woman, I'll just suspend him for a week – but not until after he drinks all the water from the cooler."_

Nothing happened and Konoe was relieved. His stare rested on Tatsumi's office.

Wanting to sate his curiosity, Konoe walked towards Tatsumi's office, knocked on the door, and came inside. He knew his secretary's temperament and could anticipate how the other would react about certain matters – most especially when it came to money and the budget.

Tatsumi stirred, looking up and nodding at Konoe along with the usual gestures which prompted the chief that he had his secretary's full attention.

Once Konoe saw Tatsumi place his red pencil down, he closed the door as he usually did whenever conferring with his secretary.

And so Konoe tested the waters and told Tatsumi in a casual fashion, "Do me a favor, Tatsumi-san. Draft a proposal for a budgetary addition. Please put a line item on this year's budget to increase my discretionary funds by an additional 200,000 yen…then increase the same line item by 300,000 yen for next fiscal year."

After blinking for a split second, Tatsumi replied, "Yes, Kacho… I'll do the proposal as soon as I finish going through these fiscal budget revisions from EnmaCho. What time do you have in mind to review the proposal?"

Konoe fell silent.

Konoe's eyes have been glued on Tatsumi since he came inside the office. Although he saw that the secretary was his usual self on the surface – busy at work, deep in thought, skipping lunch to finish work, mountains of neatly-piled paper around him, and multiple deadlines to meet – he knew that there was a distraction.

"Did you hear what I just said, Tatsumi-san?"

Tatsumi replied, blinking a bit more and wondering if he was missing something from Konoe's instructions, "Yes. You said…"

A long moment of silence passed between boss and secretary.

Minutes after Tatsumi's frown creased his forehead from wracking his brain to recollect everything that had been said to him, he admitted to Konoe in quiet and humble embarrassment, "I'm sorry, Kacho. It slipped from my mind."

"A kink in Tatsumi Seiichiro's polished and meticulous armor," said Konoe in an understanding tone. "I'm surprised that you didn't blow a gasket. I just told you to do a draft budget proposal to increase my discretionary funds by 200,000 yen this year and another 300,000 yen for next fiscal year. And you – so unlike you – immediately said _'yes'_ and asked me when we can sit down today to review your draft."

Tatsumi fell silent, more embarrassed than ever before. His headache throbbed more mercilessly, closing his eyes to ease the tension from the headache and to regain even a small sliver of composure before Konoe.

"Listen, Tatsumi-san. You've been at your desk since this morning. You haven't had lunch. Your presence of mind's not here." Konoe then paused for a minute, smiled, and then continued, "Why don't you just step away from your desk, go outside, and get some fresh air? You can even go home if you wish."

"But Kacho, there's –"

Raising an index finger as if to warn Tatsumi that this was a discussion that the secretary would not win, Konoe told him, "The work can wait. You're way ahead that even the most punctual one in terms of paperwork can't keep up with you. Clear your head and take a break. Take the rest of the day off, if you'd like."

_"But –"_

Konoe let out a subtle sigh, eyes focused on Tatsumi. "_Three_ choices – afternoon tea outside whether it be alone or someone of your choosing until it's time to go home, take the rest of the day off now and come back refreshed tomorrow, or talk to me about what's bothering you now until you go home. Your choice."

Tatsumi sighed as well, taking off his glasses and pressing the bridge of his nose to ease the pressure of his headache. He replied without looking at Konoe, continuing the action in hopes of getting some relief no matter how temporary, "Talk a little, and then I'll go outside for tea alone. If this headache doesn't go away after the 20-or-so-minute tea break then I'll go home. I'm sorry, Kacho. It won't happen again."

Smiling genially and sitting down quietly across from where Tatsumi sat, Konoe asked, "I know that you have a headache, but are you all right? You've never been this distracted before."

"Just too many things to sort out in my life, Konoe-san…" said Tatsumi as he looked at Konoe after cleaning and putting his glasses back on, his fingers interlaced while he rested his chin on his now-clasped hands. He knew that for this conversation, his superior was taking the role of a father and mentor. "Too many surprises…things that make me realize that I don't know me as well as I thought I did."

While listening to Tatsumi, Konoe had his suspicions but chose to stay in generalities. He asked Tatsumi, "I don't think anyone knows himself well enough. Surprises aren't bad, either. Spontaneity allows you to explore those things that you don't know about you. There's the growth that comes with it, and there are also the risks involved. Question is…are you ready to face what you have before you?"

Tatsumi gave his superior and older friend a tightlipped smile. "I want to be ready. I'll do _anything_ to be ready. I just don't know how."

"So you're happy about this_…change…"_

Tatsumi's tightlipped smile warmed up as he remembered Watari and what the two of them have shared thus far. "Yes, I'm very happy. I just don't want to make the same mistake that I did before. It happened before and I handled it poorly. I don't want to fall in the same pattern. I don't want to hurt someone in the process."

Konoe's empathetic gaze continued to rest on Tatsumi, with him thinking, _"I see. So I guess my hunch is right. Who would've thought...?"_

Feeling a pang of guilt and a tinge of stupidity for talking cryptically to the one patient enough to hear him fumble through his troubled thoughts, Tatsumi was temporarily shocked and eventually relieved when Konoe raised his hand to stop Tatsumi from opening his mouth and telling the younger man, "Why don't you let things be and enjoy that journey? Anything outside matters where you should let things be, settle them and get your peace of mind back."

"Kacho…." Tatsumi then fell silent once more, his eyes meeting the older man's gaze. His chest constricted one second and relaxed a few seconds later as the eyes that gazed back at time revealed that their owner had already figured out the source of his malady...or at least who specifically was in his mind since he came in for work.

Smiling more lightheartedly, Konoe interjected, "You think too much about everything, Tatsumi-kun. If it was the budget or accounting then yes, it's appropriate to think about it. In the same token, approach this opportunity of yours with the same passionate decisiveness as you do with your numbers."

Konoe then chuckled and then said, "You should pass by the laboratory. Just pass by and eavesdrop. Hear him talk a mile a minute to Tsuzuki while he's prancing about humming this song over and over again. It scares me that he's _this_ happy. The last time that he was _this_ happy, he managed to make staff swap bodies with each other. He's a devious imp hiding behind this giddy demeanor, but his heart's in the right place. Would it hurt you if you're _that_ happy for a change?"

Tatsumi's eyes glistened with held-back tears as he chuckled. How could he forget _My Fair Lady_ and how much Watari loved the movie?

"One day at a time, Tatsumi-kun. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to him…or anything for that matter."

Looking at the watch and noticing that it was nearly three in the afternoon, Konoe tapped the table gently as if he was reassuringly patting Tatsumi's back. "Why don't you get some fresh air? Let the work wait for tomorrow as a change of pace."

Rising from his seat and smiling at the older man, Tatsumi said, "Thank you, Kacho. Again, I'm sorry for being distracted today."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Now go on and take a break."

Once Konoe left to return to his office, Tatsumi went to the kitchen and prepared tea, pastries, utensils, and a linen napkin to place in the serving tray and bring outside.

Just then, Tatsumi heard that familiar humming…his burdened heart substantially lightening up and a warm smile escaping from his lips. He glanced sideways, seeing Watari and asking the other, "Join me for tea outside?"

Watari joined Tatsumi and stood beside him, momentarily resting his hand on the secretary's back…the gesture so subtle to their peers in case somebody saw them but spoke volumes for the two of them. "I have some analysis to finish for Tsuzuki-san and Bon. I can join you tomorrow, but I don't think that I could do it today."

Tatsumi nodded, his eyes meeting his lover's gaze. He smiled, his heart sensing the happiness that the other was feeling…those feelings vividly reflected in the other's honey-brown eyes. "I just need some air. Nothing's entering my brain since we came in this morning."

"_Daydreaming?"_ asked Watari with a wry smirk.

"Yes…among other things," replied Tatsumi as he chuckled inwardly. "I also have a headache."

As his eyes expressed his concern, Watari said, "If you want, I'll just drop by tomorrow night…let you rest tonight…."

"No. My mind's focused and looking forward to tonight…and being with you." Tatsumi then touched the other's arm. "Don't worry about me, Yutaka. I'm fine…_really…_ I just need to step away from my desk and get some fresh air."

"All right…. I'm sorry that I can't join you today for break. I'll make up for it tonight. I promise."

Tatsumi affectionately tapped Watari's arm. He then carried the tray and gave the other a meaningful gaze, deep down wishing that he could steal a kiss from the other right now but knowing better not to do so in the office. "I'm looking forward to it. I'll see you after work We'll walk home together...take the longer route just as we did last time."

Watari smiled and nodded. He let out a subtle yet deep sigh as he watched the secretary walk away towards the exit doors leading to the patio area outside where the breeze was refreshing, the sakura trees were in constant bloom, and the ambiance was relaxing.

Once outside, a still-preoccupied Tatsumi placed the tray down on one of the tables. He sat down and took in a deep cleansing breath, only to be startled when someone said to him from behind, "Glad that you managed to peel away from your desk for afternoon break…."

"Tsu-Tsuzuki-san…?"

Sitting up, his trench coat serving as his blanket, Tsuzuki asked, "Would you like some company?"

With a genial smile, Tatsumi replied, "Sure. I only have service for one, but there are enough pastries here for two. We could share this one teacup – that is if you don't mind sharing."

"I don't. You know that," was Tsuzuki's reply. He then rose from where he sat, taking his coat and dusting it off. He then wore his coat and joined Tatsumi at the table, thanking Tatsumi as he took a cookie from a small bowl that Tatsumi held out to him.

After a little while when the two ex-partners were able to enjoy the relaxing ambiance and each other's company, Tsuzuki asked the other, "Are you all right?"

"A headache… Just need fresh air and some food. Don't worry."

"I'm not."

Startled from the answer, Tatsumi blinked and blushed when Tsuzuki added, "Your eyes…. I could tell from them that you're more than fine."

Tatsumi then took the cup and drank from it, trying to hide the reddening of his cheek behind the teacup…or letting the tea be his excuse as to why his cheeks had a tinge of pink. He felt refreshed from the hot green tea. The rumbling of his stomach subsided a bit from the fresh pastry and the warm drink.

The secretary then offered the same cup to Tsuzuki, the latter taking the cup and drinking from it. The scene between the two was reminiscent of the days when the two were still partners and lovers, spending their time together as much as they could at work and at home.

Yes, Tsuzuki was dear to Tatsumi. In fact, the amethyst-eyed shinigami was still dear to his former partner even though Tatsumi ended their partnership in an awkward note and made their friendship uncomfortable for many years.

It was wrong to say that the mistake that Tatsumi was referring to was sitting across from him and sharing tea with him.

To the secretary, Tsuzuki was not the mistake. It was him and how cowardly he had been. How could he claim to have loved Tsuzuki and yet could not bear to be around when the other needed him most?

Tatsumi recalled Konoe's advice – when it came to Watari, let things be…and when it came to everything else, settle loose ends and regain that lost peace of mind.

And now here was Tsuzuki before him yet Tatsumi could not think of what to say in terms of what he had been wanting to tell the other since he broke off from their partnership and relationship.

Deeming that he was not yet ready to have that long-overdue talk with Tsuzuki about how he left things between them a long time ago, Tatsumi chose to let things be between Tsuzuki and him…the two drinking tea in comfortable silence.

From time to time, Tatsumi's gaze rested on Tsuzuki. In spite of the uncomfortable history between them, the two enjoyed a sense of intimate comfort with each other's company.

In between their chat about how their respective days have been progressing, Tatsumi thought, _"When the time comes, I will tell you about Yutaka. I was too stupid to honestly appreciate you…us…in that light when it was our time. I do hope that I don't make the same mistake on Yutaka. I also hope that you could forgive me for not being able to give you what I could give him."_

Knowing that the cup they shared was now empty, Tatsumi took the teapot and filled the cup before Tsuzuki once the cup was placed down on its saucer.

Another gesture that Tatsumi did so instinctively was that he reached in his suit pocket, took his handkerchief, and patted away the crumbs that he spotted around Tsuzuki's lips.

Tsuzuki gave Tatsumi a grateful and sheepish smile, a blush lightly veiling his cheeks as the two gazed at each other and exchanged grins.

Yes, there was affection between Tsuzuki and Tatsumi. The secretary knew that from the time Watari and he first kissed, the blonde scientist held a place in his heart that he would never know how to extend towards Tsuzuki.

Yes, Tatsumi was very clear about how much he cared about Watari and how special the other was to him. There was something between them that made him feel alive – no matter what they were doing.

Unfortunately, Watari saw the entire scene through a different perspective – from the time that he saw Tatsumi pouring tea in a shared cup and wiping Tsuzuki's face with a handkerchief. He was speechless and unable to approach the table.

Tatsumi and Tsuzuki continued talking, the two so much at ease with each other as teatime continued...the two of them not noticing from the corner of their eyes that someone was watching them.

Watari went back inside the Division as quietly as he had gone out, this time his mind repeatedly reminding him that Tsuzuki and Tatsumi had been partners in many ways before he arrived in Meifu. His mind's eye kept playing those scenes during afternoon tea, giving him doubts as to what was his place in Tatsumi's life if matters were still unresolved between his lover and his best friend.

**End of Chapter Seven

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**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._


	8. The Long Wait for Home

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Eight: The Long Wait for Home

* * *

**

Watari's pet owl, 003, happily fluttered about inside the laboratory as she waited for her master to return. As she saw him walk in, she flew and perched on his shoulders. She tilted her head a little as she sensed that something was wrong. She then softly hooted, astutely noticing that his mood dramatically changed.

After hearing a couple of rather inquisitive-sounding hoots from his pet owl, Watari told her, "I didn't join Seii, girl. He's with Tsuzuki."

It was not what Watari said but the way that he said it that made the owl hoot softer still…a rather consoling sound that she knew helped her master before from time to time since she had been created.

Today, however, was different…and it saddened the owl that she felt helpless in bolstering up her usually-upbeat master's sagged mood. The laboratory was quiet, with her watching her master work in silence.

Another thirty minutes had passed when the blonde scientist heard someone ask, "Hey, Watari – what result did you get?"

And Watari's calm answer to Tsuzuki was, "Bon has the analysis summary report. You're right. That residue was spiritual or even demonic in origin."

Although Watari was acting how he normally did, Tsuzuki felt that something was wrong. He asked his best friend, "What happened to the singing and dancing?

Watari smiled softly, still keeping a façade for the other to see, "It's already that part of the day, so I've expended all the energy I have and the mugs of coffee have already worn off from my system."

"Tatsumi's not feeling well, either. He's still outside relaxing."

"Oh, really?" asked an oblivious-sounding Watari. "So that's where you disappeared to?"

"I was there first, taking a nap. He came outside much later. We talked…had tea…chatted…."

A chuckle escaped from Watari's lips before he joked, "Did he give you another one of his lectures about not blowing up things and facilities? I sure had that tirade last week."

Tsuzuki pursed his lips and then shook his head. "No, nothing like that… He seemed…bothered…."

Watari blinked then rested his gaze on Tsuzuki. _"Bothered?"_

"Yeah, bothered…but not in a bad way. He wanted to say something but he did not. I can see it in his eyes. We just ended up talking about everything else." Tsuzuki then let out a subtle sigh, adding, "Or maybe he's just not feeling well. He's been rather spaced out today. That's very much unlike him. I also asked him how his weekend was…."

"What did he say?"

"He said that it was one of his most restful weekends in a very long time. He loved it."

"I see…" murmured Watari as he noticed the clock. He then began the process of tidying up the laboratory starting with gathering the specimen slides and placing them in the right sample filer."

Tsuzuki helped Watari clean up, with Tsuzuki so tempted to ask his friend as to why he suddenly became sad. Yet he chose to leave his friend be since his friend rarely showed signs of sadness and that the latter normally would open up to him.

After the long silence between them, Tsuzuki was startled as Watari asked, "If Tatsumi ever asked you to partner up with him again on a permanent basis, would you do it?"

"Hisoka's my partner…and that scenario's highly unlikely."

"It's just a _'what if'_ question…"

"Hmmmm…" Tsuzuki then stopped what he was doing and then sat in one of the stools. "I won't…for his sake. He left for reasons that I don't know but understand. I couldn't blame him because I was very bad during those days. He couldn't look at me for days when I had those lapses. Three months was more than enough for him…or for anyone. Hisoka's the only one who lasted this long with me. It'll be unfair to hold on to him when he didn't want to stay."

"What if Tatsumi asked to come back…to pick up from where you two left off?"

Tsuzuki chuckled inwardly at the question, which by the way, the two normally with each other when it would be just the two of them. "What is this – The Match-Up Game?"

Watari just laughed, being his usual goofy character. "It's not like you haven't _played_ this before. Now come on – _spill…_"

"Partnering up just as the four of us did to retrieve Troy in Kyoto, _yes_. Partnering up for work's sake,_ yes…."_

When Tsuzuki stopped and thought that he had answered Watari's question to the latter's satisfaction, he blinked when Watari said, "I'm not just talking about work. I'm talking about _all_ types of partnerships."

Shaking his head yet still oblivious, Tsuzuki gave his friend a pursed-lipped smile, "You sure are in a rollercoaster mood today. "

"Come on…_please…?"_ asked Watari looking all innocent as he gave his plea just as he would do when he would coax Tsuzuki to be the one to get up and grab goodies from the kitchen during their movie nights.

And how could Tsuzuki say no?

So Tsuzuki replied with a smile, "All right… Work – definitely yes. Friendship – definitely yes… Family, as in brothers – definitely yes because that's how we all are here in the Division… The type of partnership – the very one that drove him away years ago when we were partners, no…and I know he has more common sense than I do to make sure that it never happens again. He won't repeat the same mistakes twice or more. We're too much alike in many ways. We both know that, fact and it's not good for either of us to be together in that type of relationship.\"

There was a long silence between the two friends, with Tsuzuki watching Watari go in deep thought.

"Watari…if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you have feelings for someone we know so well – the very same one who yells at us to grow up whenever we screw up by causing more damage and making a dent in the Division's budget."

"No, no…" said Watari with a wry smile. "You two just never talked about it. It way before my time or Bon's time…but all I know is that it was really bad."

"It's not bad. Not at all," Tsuzuki said as he leaned on the laboratory counter. It had been a long while – close to forty five years now since he and Tatsumi became partners. His eyes blinked a bit as he tried to recall the past and the feelings associated with it. He surmised that if there were any ill feelings, it was more out of his self-guilt for not being a good partner to Tatsumi or being better in handling his emotions and lucidity.

And so Tsuzuki explained after the long pause, "We were partners. One day he said that he couldn't partner up with me on a particular case that was just given to us. I told him that it was all right and we'd partner up next time. Then he said that there wouldn't be a next time...and it was not just what he said but the way that he said it that made me understand what he really wanted to say. So we parted ways. He freelanced between our Division and EnmaCho while I worked alone. A couple of months after we separated, he permanently became Kacho's right-hand man."

Watari pondered about what Tsuzuki had just confided with him. He knew that his friend trusted him too much to lie – whether or not Tsuzuki knew Watari's real reason for asking all these questions in such an innocent fashion.

"Now it's my turn to ask you a question," said Tsuzuki with a smile as he let his gaze rest on his friend. "If the opportunity was there, would you date Tatsumi?"

The blonde scientist just blanched at the question.

"Now come on. I answered your questions, so answer mine. Would you or would you not date Tatsumi?"

"Let us just say that yes, I would…how would you feel about it?"

Tsuzuki chuckled. "Now that's not fair. You're asking me another question."

"No, it's part of your question to me. You two have a history."

"Bonds never sever. Tatsumi and I will always be friends. You know how I feel about Hisoka. I think Tatsumi would be happy to see me happy for a change. If the two of you ever date and end up together, I'd be very happy for both of you. It's time for Tatsumi to be happy, and I like to see you happy too."

Watari smiled as tears beaded at the corners of his eyes.

"You're such a muffin-heart, Watari," Tsuzuki teased as he looked at his friend then hugged him. "Did you start listening to one of those radio dramas again? Is that why you're in this sappy mood right now? You know how those things make both of us cry, or think too much, or both."

The blonde scientist chuckled as he reciprocated the friendly, caring hug. "Yeah, I did. I'm fine now. I just got depressed with one of the character's problem." He did feel a bit better, although there was still much to settle within him.

And Watari surmised that Tatsumi had much to assess and settle within him as well.

Although Watari did confirm that Tsuzuki was too much of a good friend. He knew that from the very beginning since the amethyst-eyed shinigami was the first who made him feel at home when he first transferred in the Shokan Division from the Realm of the Five Generals – a secret that no one save for Enma, those from the Realm of the Five Generals, and he only knew.

In fact, another secret was that Watari was one of the Five Generals – the Chief Researcher. The second secret was that he was directly and intimately involved in the Mother Project. The third secret was that the Watari Yutaka who worked for the Five Generals was totally different from the Watari Yutaka who now worked for the Shokan Division.

"Hey…you still with me here on Meifu?" asked Tsuzuki as he amicably slapped Watari's arm.

"Uh, yeah... Just got tired the last part of today…"

Tsuzuki saw the time.

It was ten minutes before five in the afternoon.

"I have to go back to my desk. Time to go home…." Tsuzuki then looked at Watari, asking him with a tone laced with concern, "Are you going to be okay? Are you okay?"

Watari nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. Just tired…. So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay – see you tomorrow!" said Tsuzuki a couple of seconds before he turned around and dashed towards the door.

The blonde scientist turned around and then his heart felt as if it stopped beating when he heard Tsuzuki's steps halt then said, ""I'm sorry, Tatsumi. Thanks for tea and see you tomorrow!"

Tsuzuki and Watari were not the only ones who were startled…so was Tatsumi when Tsuzuki almost collided against him when the secretary was about to enter the lab nearly the same time that Tsuzuki dashed out the door.

Tatsumi bade goodbye to Tsuzuki and then entered the laboratory. He closed the door behind him and said, "Do you need help cleaning up? I spent the rest of the afternoon outside per Kacho's directive."

"Oh, I've cleaned up the laboratory already. You should've gone home if Kacho's given you permission to take off."

The secretary shook his head then smiled at Watari as he approached the latter. "I don't want to walk home alone. I want to walk home with you and 003."

"But you have a headache and you're not feeling well."

As his smile for Watari became warmer, Tatsumi said, "Yes, I do…but I'd feel better as we walk home together."

"Then let us go home…." Watari then picked up his backpack, flexing his shoulders seconds before 003 flew from one side of the laboratory towards him. He then glanced sideways to make sure that his pet was now comfortably perched on his shoulder. He stroked her feathers and asked, "Ready, girl?"

The owl made soft noises as if she replied yes to her master's question.

The two then walked outside using the laboratory's back door – the same door that Watari used earlier in his hopes to join Tatsumi for tea. They took the longer route which afforded them the lakeside view through most of the part of their walk.

Tatsumi felt better now. He still had his headache, but the air, solitude, the talk with Tsuzuki, and the time to think helped him tremendously – the time to think being the most help to him.

After about fifteen minutes' worth of silence as they walked, Watari asked Tatsumi, "Afternoon tea didn't help you?"

"It somewhat helped," said Tatsumi who still had no idea that Watari was not as comfortable as he was during the silence between them. "I'll feel better once we get home – once we get to relax."

"So are you going to tell me why you're so absentminded or preoccupied today?"

"I tend to think too much. It's my strength and it's my weakness." Tatsumi then slid his hands inside his coat pockets to keep them warm. "Konoe-san knows about us, by the way."

Watari felt as if he had just gone deaf after what he just heard. "Kacho knows? How…?"

"I told him about us in a circuitous way. The old man has good intuition for such things."

The blonde scientist was still stunned. "But why didn't you deny about us?"

Tatsumi glanced sideways, his tone lighthearted as he replied, "No confirmation and no denial, remember? If I'm going to choose between the two, I'd rather confirm the truth about us. Would you rather have me deny about us?"

"No, you're right. I was just surprised."

"_Something's up,"_ thought Tatsumi as he felt that Watari was troubled about something although the latter was doing an excellent job to fool him in thinking that everything was fine.

To satiate his curiosity, Tatsumi's steps led him and them under one of the many sakura trees in this pathway. They were already half-way home, but he could no longer wait.

Facing the lake and letting the area's calming ambiance sink in his being, Tatsumi asked his lover while his gaze rested on the other. A soft yet disarming smile escaping from his lips, "I kept wondering all day why I've been so distracted. Do you want to know what I've been thinking about all day, Yutaka?"

With mixed emotions, Watari did his best to meet Tatsumi's gaze but was a tad self-conscious to do so. He could not understand where the entire afternoon's events were leading to and how it would affect them. Although his outer demeanor seemed calm and that he was in his usual mood, his stomach was figuratively in knots.

Yet Watari kept the façade as he replied with a reciprocating smile, "A way to yell at your subordinate for blowing your budget while not being placed in the doghouse by your lover?"

Tatsumi chuckled and leaned against the tree while Watari's back was turned away from the lake, his blue eyes being so expressive in showing how he felt. His eyes took a more mesmerizing hue of azure as the lake water's reflection of the setting sun bounced against them. "I was – and been – thinking about how much I've changed in such a short time. There are many things that I wanted to do with you at the office and couldn't. Things which include but is not limited to _this…_"

Tatsumi then drew Watari closer and kissed the other passionately…rendering him vulnerable on all aspects of his being as he poured everything that he felt for the other through the lingering and explorative series of kisses while he locked the other in an affectionate embrace.

Reciprocating the kiss and weakening on the knees, Watari wrapped his arms around Tatsumi's neck. Although still plagued by them, he pushed aside his doubt-filled thoughts at this time and immersed in the heartfelt passion that the other poured out to him.

**End of Chapter Eight

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**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._

_**Author's Notes**_

_The Five Generals has been mentioned in the manga – the entity/agency in charge of the Mother Project. Watari had worked for them prior to his transfer to the Shokan Division. What was not established in the manga was the fact that he was one of the five generals (or chiefs). What was implied, however, was that he held a high position there due to his intimate involvement in the Mother Project._


	9. A Lapse in Logic

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Nine: A Lapse in Logic

* * *

**

_**Warning**_

_Lemons up ahead….

* * *

_

What stunned Watari more was that the breathtaking kiss that Tatsumi initiated had a higher level of affection and openness than last night's kisses – all while the other locked him in an embrace.

"_Doesn't make sense why…"_ thought Watari shortly before his mind shut down and allowed his entire being to melt into the deepening kiss. He rested against the other's body as the kisses between them became more explorative.

The time that Watari and Tatsumi had spent underneath the sakura tree and the lakeside view lasted until the sun had a few moments before it fully set.

Drawing away from the kiss yet not taking away his gaze and smile from the other, Tatsumi asked Watari, "Let us go home…make the most out of the evening."

Watari nodded and took in a subtle yet deep breath. He was still bothered about many doubts, yet he pushed them aside – the tender moment between them helping placate some of the jealousy and uncertainties that he would never admit in harboring.

Before he accepted Tatsumi's hand and clasped it affectionately, Watari's reply was, "Yes. Lead the way, Seii."

The lovers walked home with Watari's arm wrapped around Tatsumi's arm.

Tatsumi then told Watari as the walk continued, "Just be patient with me, Yutaka. I can be stubborn and unpredictable at times."

"I already know that. Tell me something that I don't know," said Watari with a chuckle, snuggling with Tatsumi.

Tatsumi was more relaxed now that he had fresh air and released some of the pent-up need to be intimate with Watari. The walk was relaxing as well, the lake and the blanket of sakura petals resting on the ground and their pathway providing a sight that was cool to the eye. "Then tell me what's bothering you. Everything was fine before I took my afternoon break."

After the long silence between them since Watari did not know what his response would be or how to respond to him, Tatsumi then added, "Are you having second thoughts about us?"

The doubts locked deep inside Watari began to bubble up the surface. His voice was calm, having no indication that his chest constricted and his stomach was in knots because of them. "You tell me…."

The secretary stopped their walk for a second. When Watari wanted to slip away from him, he managed to hold on to the other's hand. With an even tone, he asked, "Tell me what's bothering you. Do you think that I'll be _this _distracted if you didn't mean anything to me?"

"Is _that_ what I am to you – a _distraction?_"

After he had uttered the word _distraction_, Watari held on to his emotion as if it was a well-guarded poker hand. He told the other in a matter-of-factly fashion, thus breaking the long silence between them, "Just tell me how long this…_whatever_ we have…will be. Just be truthful to me at least about that."

This time, Tatsumi could not help but feel his temper rise. However, he held on to his patience.

Tatsumi stared at Watari, the two standing there in the middle of the long pathway leading to Tatsumi's street. The two exchanged probing gazes.

One thing was certain for Tatsumi – Watari and he were respectively hurting…doubtful. The doubts and the hurt had nothing to do with whether one truly cared for the other but had mostly to do with the mistakes and hurts that they incurred and caused in their respective existence.

The two stayed transfixed in the spot where they now stood for many minutes, with Tatsumi affectionately tightening his hold of Watari's hand. He wanted to crumble but to do so would commit the same mistake that he did to Tsuzuki. He remembered afternoon tea and the revelations that he had while talking to his ex-lover and during his moments of solitude after Tsuzuki left him to enjoy the rest of the afternoon outside the office.

Tatsumi's eyes glistened with held-back tears – the only evidence of what he was going through at this time. He kept his gaze on Watari as he told the other with quiet intent, "I want you…us…to be together for a long time. An eternity and a day…_more_, if possible…. You may not believe it or me for whatever reason you choose not to do so, but I know how I feel. So please tell me what's bothering you."

Those enigmatic, expressive blue eyes stared back at Watari.

Watari then felt his defenses slowly but surely melting as he saw the secretary – the latter being the tower of reason and strength among them at the Shokan Division standing rightfully beside Konoe. There was something in Tatsumi's eyes that pierced through his soul.

Everything to Watari, whenever it had something to do with Tatsumi, was amplified…the other's azure eyes as they expressed a myriad of emotions and messages simply through one gaze, that soft smile which easily manage to placate his unsettled feelings, those fingertips gently caressing over his skin with ghosting touches, the ministrations between them ranging from gentle to rough.

Everything that had to do with Tatsumi rendered the normally calm and matter-of-factly Watari weak on the knees…irrational…even jealous.

"You have me for an eternity and a day, Yutaka. If there's going to be someone to end what we have, that person would be _you_ – not me…so _you're_ the one who's going to tell me what you wish."

"You're having me do the dirty work while you're washing your hands clean? Dump me now if you wish. I won't take offense by it. Better to walk away now while you can...resolve loose ends that you need closure from. Go back to Tsuzuki and end this farce with me."

A stunned Tatsumi then realized part of what was bothering Watari. How could he have missed the other's train of thought?

Gazing into the other's eyes for a long time, Tatsumi told Watari as he gave the other a rueful smile, "You're _not_ Tsuzuki-san, Yutaka. Our relationship and the relationship that I had with Tsuzuki-san back then are different. One day, I'll be able to tell you everything as to why I turned my back from Tsuzuki-san. I'm not ready to tell you because I don't even understand why I did what I did back then."

"Do you still care for him? Do you love him?"

Tatsumi met Watari's seemingly daring gaze. In all honesty, he replied, "_Yes._ Yes I do. My feelings for him differ from my feelings for you. I watched over Tsuzuki-san to make sure that he was safe. I cared for him at a distance, yes. I also looked out for Kurosaki-kun. My care, concern, and love for them are _not_ the same way as I feel for you."

Watari was stupefied, his emotions suffocating him and rendering him speechless.

"All this time, I have also watched over you, Yutaka. It was killing me inside to feel this way about you, yet I welcomed it even if the distance between us made the longing and the pain worse. When I hurt you on our first date, I couldn't forgive me for what I did. What makes you think that I would just simply go away now that I have you…now that things are right between us – or so I thought?"

Then a teardrop betrayed Tatsumi as it made the welling of his eyes worse.

The secretary took a deep breath to have a better grip of his unraveling feelings, the teardrop traveling down his cheek…the moonlight making Watari aware of its presence as the trail of tears gleamed lighter than his skin. "What I do know is that I would not dare intentionally hurt you…and I'm just afraid of making that mistake. I want to be selfish…to hold on to you as long as I can…to never let you go. I'm _not_ perfect, and that very fact makes me afraid. I don't want you to leave the same way as I have left Tsuzuki-san."

"I thought that you still love Tsuzuki…" was all that Watari could manage to mumble.

"You could never sever such bonds, Yutaka. You should also not be threatened by them because those bonds – as few yet as strong as they are – made me who I am today. I've lost all who I loved dearly. If we weren't shinigami, the more that I'd be afraid of losing you so please don't hold those bonds against me. If there's someone who wouldn't know or be able to fathom how to get by an existence without the other, that person would be _me_. Not _you_, but _me…._"

Once another long period of silence between them passed, Tatsumi lifted his hand and touched Watari's cheek. He gently smiled at the other, his anger dissipated and the tears still glistening in his eyes. "It's getting colder."

Watari nodded and rested a hand on Tatsumi's hand, closing his eyes to enjoy Tatsumi's touch and the feelings conveyed by it. He then said in a choked near-whisper, "I'm sorry. Never been like this before…."

Tatsumi's soft smile became more empathetic. He leaned closer to Watari and kissed the other's forehead before having their foreheads touch and rest against each other.

After a little while, Tatsumi then drew away to gaze into the other's honey-colored eyes. "I've never been or felt like this before, either. I'd never know exactly how you feel. I'd never doubt about how you feel about me. However, I do know exactly how I feel about you. Please don't doubt my feelings for you or the fact that I need you as much as you need me…most probably even more."

Remembering his past and the fear that he had about how Tatsumi would react once it had been uncovered, Watari told the other, "There's so much that you need to know about me…things that might drive you away."

The blonde scientist's admission echoed the majority of Tatsumi's fears as well as other matters which he summed up by telling the other, "We're here in Meifu for a reason, Yutaka. The chaste don't live here, but it doesn't mean that we don't have the propensity towards goodness. I, most especially, did not live a chaste life. I have soaked my hands in blood during the last years of my life. If we go deeper than where we are now and you find out everything about me, I'm just afraid that I might hurt you and you'd leave."

Having their gazes meet, Watari asked as he closed in the distance between Tatsumi and him, "You don't have to tell me specifics right now, but generally-speaking what things are you worrying about…things that would hurt me…make me leave you?"

"My past…. My wants… My needs…. Things that one would normally never see on the surface…. Things that only I know and no one else... Things that Tsuzuki or anyone never had the privilege of seeing and knowing until you came along…. I don't want to make the same mistakes by letting go, but –"

"Didn't I tell you that night that you _should_ let go? You _should_ be who you are with me. And you think that being you is the very thing that would drive me away from you?"

"Then what was bothering you before we left the office? When you got upset, I thought…"

"You _thought_ what?"

It hurt Tatsumi to voice out his fear but he had to. His chest tightened and he let out a burdened sigh in hopes to release some of the tension inside. "I thought that after our weekend, you'd want to end things between us."

Watari blinked. If he had heard everything that he had to tonight – ranging from the gut-wrenching to the preposterous – Tatsumi's latest words really caught him off guard. His mood changed as his mind tried to digest the other's words and make sense out of them. However, the more that he tried to see where his lover was coming from with the last-uttered statement the more it made him blink.

Finally, Watari could not hold back.

In his usual matter-of-factly way and acting as if he had not been having a heart-to-heart talk with the other, Watari spat out, "Where in all the realms did you ever come up with such a stupid and asinine idea as the one that you just came up with?"

This time, it was Tatsumi's turn to blink. An eyebrow rose and his lips were pursed. He snorted out a chuckle and shook his head before looking into Watari's eyes again. "Did you just call me a _stupid ass?_"

"I called your _idea_ stupid and asinine. If it will satisfy you, then _yes_. Yes, I did call you a stupid ass," deadpanned Watari. "How could you_ possibly_ think that I wouldn't want what happened over the weekend when I was the one who pushed for it to happen…?"

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, although the other could see that the gleam in those azure eyes was more due to frustration. "Then would you educate the stupid ass as to why you began having a fit when I asked you whether you're having second thoughts about us. All you could have said was _no_…that is if you're not leaving me after our weekend."

"No, I am not leaving you _especially_ after the weekend we had together. I'm being an idiot because I saw you spend afternoon tea with Tsuzuki…with you sharing a cup and with you wiping the crumbs off him. I just…flipped…."

The whole conversation was too heavy for Tatsumi not to let out another burdened sigh and take off his glasses. "Why didn't you join us? I invited you to join me."

"If you were in my shoes and you saw what I saw, you'd do the same."

"I look out for everyone. You know that. It's my job and it's also a privilege because I consider everyone as my family. When it comes to you, it's different because the feelings go beyond that. You should've known that after this weekend."

"I did, Seii. I felt it strongly."

The two of them needed the silence that they let pass to gather their thoughts and emotions together since they were both caught off-guard…silence that Watari had broken as he asked, "We had an awesome weekend. The weekend was what I have been looking for from you. When I told you to let go, that's what you did. That's what we both did. Why were you thinking that I would leave you and forget about us after this weekend?"

"I was too rough on you. I know that we're shinigami and it's inconsequential but I care about you and much more."

The weekend in bed replayed inside Watari's head, the memories evoking the emotions that he felt. The mixture of the rough and gentle as well as pain and pleasure…from the bruising kisses every now and then, Tatsumi's nails digging on his back and ass, the hard and deep thrusts, the two of them extending the limits of their bodies to try something new, the ministrations that showed how his lover needed him in such a primitive way….

Watari could not help but smile as a certain and reassuring of peace veiled over his entire being and helped soothe him. "I did the same thing to you, as in I did exactly what I felt like doing to you. You did the same thing. I enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed it very much. It made me so happy that I couldn't wait to go home and be with you that way since we couldn't do it at work."

The secretary took Watari's hand once the latter offered it, holding on to it with affection. "I was in bliss. I couldn't think about anything but the weekend that we had and the days ahead of us. I couldn't wait to leave the office, which made me feel rather guilty because I have a lot of work to do and people who depend on me…and my head just wasn't there."

"Well, one thing's for certain. We're both stupid asses for thinking that one's going to leave the other. Why don't we continue walking home, especially now that it's getting colder and we got whatever's bothering us out of our systems?"

After planting another kiss on Watari's forehead, Tatsumi then stared into Watari's eyes once more and smiled. His free hand held the other's hand with tight and reassuring warmth, the two now resuming their walk towards Tatsumi's home.

The two walked home, both inwardly glad that the comfortable and blissful sense of peace that they achieved to have over the weekend slowly but surely returned to them.

Once Tatsumi's house was within view, Tatsumi glanced sideways and smiled as he saw that the other was feeling better. "There was one thing that I forgot to point out to you. One thing that would make you realize that you're the one who means most to me…and that would never change…"

With lighthearted curiosity, Watari blinked and gave Tatsumi a pursed-lipped smile, "And what's that?"

"After Tsuzuki-san, I've never been with anyone else save you. I gave and shared myself to you in so many ways that I've never done so openly with anyone – even Tsuzuki-san."

The fact that Tatsumi just disclosed dawned upon Watari and it hit him hard. After weighing those words inside his head, he knew that Tatsumi's words were true and for him to have such doubts about Tatsumi and their relationship were unreasonable…illogical. If there was an eye-opening fact that he had uncovered over the weekend, it was the fact that the prim and proper Tatsumi Seiichiro - for the very first time since in his life and afterlife - let go of every repressive fiber in his being to enjoy levels of intimacy that he had never felt free to explore or share...even with Tsuzuki.

And with Tatsumi letting go of such inhibitions, Watari learned so much about his new lover. So in spite of all of these truths, most especially after last weekend, how could he still have doubts about the shadow master? How could he still have doubts when both he and Tatsumi were still pleasantly aching and absentminded after a weekend's worth of lovemaking which ranged from gentle to primal?

Watari smiled warmly while the tears glistened in his honey-colored eyes, the two now standing before Tatsumi's door as Tatsumi unlocked the door. "We have an eternity and a day, don't we?"

The door opened but before they entered inside the house, Tatsumi smiled back as the secretary wiped away a teardrop or two which beaded at the corner of Watari's eyes with a gentle finger. "Yes, we do. One day at a time…taking things slowly but surely yet not missing any opportunities. We'll let things fall where they wish to lie. We'll talk. We'll do our best to be as honest with each other as we possibly could. We have an eternity and a day to know each other better than we did yesterday. Just remember that no matter what happens or what we've done in the past, I want to be with you…so please do your best not to doubt."

Watari nodded and closed his eyes momentarily, letting the comforting endearment of Tatsumi's touch sink in the core of his being. "I won't and so should you. I'd never leave you and I'd always want you to be who you are with me…just as you did this weekend."

Tatsumi gazed at Watari and asked, "So does this mean that we have at least a truce?"

Watari closed the distance between them and kissed Tatsumi for his answer, the secretary responding in-kind so fervently. The kisses continued as they entered the house and closed the door behind them, with Watari's back resting against the door…the kisses rising up in terms of passion and exploration.

The two eventually ended up in the bedroom, leaving behind a trail of clothing shed from each other and with a naked Watari lying on the bed as Tatsumi crawled on top of him.

Fingers interlocked, one holding on to the other with such affection and need as the kisses continued.

Tatsumi's kisses on Watari's body eventually traveled downward after he lavished kisses, nips, and suckles on the other's neck, earlobe, and behind the ear. The warmth of his breath tickled Watari and stirred the lust and feelings that the other had for him even more.

Taking his time, Tatsumi left love marks on Watari's skin…his affections concentrating on Watari's chest and abs while his fingertips ghosted over the other's inner thigh. Eventually, his fingertips caressed over the other's member…those touches blending in along with the ongoing ministrations.

Watari clenched the sheets, his body and face flushed as his lust and need potently coursed throughout his body…with him wanting this so much since they parted ways this morning. He closed his eyes, his senses reeling as he left everything that he was with Tatsumi to do anything and everything that the latter pleased.

Tatsumi's ministrations were hungry yet with a touch of loving meticulousness and attentiveness to the other's needs. He knew how, where, and when to tease the other. He stretched the other's limits, loving how the other moaned every now and then as well as how the other's body writhed underneath him. What he loved most was the fact that the other was more than willing to take that journey with him.

A feeling of peace finally settled and latched deep inside Tatsumi as he reaffirmed that Watari was bold about everything. The very thing that he had offered might scare him since he uncovered a part of him that he never knew that he had, but the other was not afraid of it. In fact, the other welcomed it.

The other's reactions and his feelings for the other reminded Tatsumi of his shadows – the innate part of him that scared him for a long time until he learned and accepted them, thus making him feel whole after years of running away from them and acknowledging their importance.

And so once more, Tatsumi did what Watari asked him to do and be. He let go…let all things fall where they wished to lie.

Everything was a picture of how things should be between them – from the oral pleasure that they had given each other, the thrusts that progressed in passion as they came closer to climax, Tatsumi's attentiveness with Watari's member as he took the other harder, faster, and deeper…and the culmination of that passionate moment between them.

The passionate moment and the tenderness that followed afterwards repeated itself with Watari this time taking charge and Tatsumi entrusting everything to the other.

Throughout the evening, one poured out the pent-up longing deep inside him on to the other…the two taking turns in expressing what he wanted to say to the other through lovemaking as well as the affectionate moments in each other's arms.

**End of Chapter Nine

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**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._


	10. What Do You Get When You Fall in Love?

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Ten: What Do You Get When You Fall In Love?

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**

_**To the Readers,**_

_Ah the title, where did it come from?_

_Remember that song I'll Never Fall in Love Again? It is a very cute and upbeat song composed by Burt Bacharach a long while back. I thought it was appropriate to apply it to how Tatsumi and Watari are going about in terms of their relationship._

_Happy reading...and belated Happy Valentines Day._

_Luv lots and huggles,_

_**PJ Zatken**_

* * *

"You seem better…."

Tatsumi lifted his head from the budget pages he had been reviewing. He was about to stand up and acknowledge Konoe, only for him to sit back down as the elder man motioned him to skip the formalities.

Konoe closed the door behind him and said, "Are you feeling better today?"

"Yes, Kacho…. I was able to rest last night," was Tatsumi's reply as he gave his chief a soft smile. He then rested his hand on a one-foot stack of papers inside their respective folders. "This stack is for you to review and sign. The papers with the red tabs are the places where you need to sign if you wish."

"I have a favor to ask you, Tatsumi-san. I'll be assigning you to work with Watari on a retrieval assignment in his area. If you'd like to read ahead, the transmittal sheet along with the data files are being compiled by the Gushoshin. They'll give you a copy of the folder for your review before our weekly case meeting."

Tatsumi then nodded, his mind today much more focused for work. "Will you be asking me to buy souvenirs for you, Sir?"

"Of course, but I suggest that you find a birthday present first before you go for souvenirs," was Konoe's advice which had been accompanied with a knowing smile.

"_Birthday…?_ I don't –"

Then after a pause of silence as he gave the chief a probing gaze, Tatsumi then realized what Konoe had been implying. "Oh, I see…. It's been marked on my calendar already. I just lost track of the date."

"Yes, so now you remember. It's a week away. I can send you up there a day ahead of him so that he wouldn't suspect that you'll be gift-shopping. If you do it on a weekend, he'll suspect that you're up to something."

"This is very kind of you, Kacho. If my workload's in a manageable state by the time I have to leave, I'll take you up on your offer."

"But _don't_ let him know that you know about it."

After Tatsumi nodded, Konoe then asked, "I'm confident that your relationship wouldn't affect your work and your duties. If any, you'd probably have Watari-san adhere to stricter standards because of it. As long as nothing changes, I'm fine with it."

"Thank you. I don't know what to say…" were Tatsumi's words of gratitude, with him taking a subtle sigh and pondering over how his relationship with Watari had been unfolding for them.

Konoe had a genial smile for his secretary as he said, "I'll see you in our afternoon meeting, Tatsumi-san. Meanwhile, let me take these folders with me for review. Just get them from me after our meeting."

"Yes, Kacho…."

The chief then retrieved the folders from Tatsumi's desk, with Tatsumi opening the door for him and then leaving the door open as he returned to his work.

As Tatsumi worked, the question that had been playing at the back of his mind was, _"What am I going to get Yutaka for his birthday? It's also our one-month anniversary. Time really flew by quickly."_

And then Tatsumi smiled, thinking about everything that he and Watari had shared thus far and adding to his thoughts, _"But I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to find a gift that expresses what I feel about him…or should I buy two gifts since we're celebrating two occasions?"_

So Tatsumi focused on his work, dead-set in taking up Konoe's offer and knowing that he needed as much time as he could to choose and buy the perfect gift…or gifts.

-------------------------------------------------

Tatsumi came in and joined the rest of the Shokan Division team minus Terazuma, Wakaba, Tsuzuki, and Hisoka since they were still on active duty. He had a three-inch binder that came from Enma-Cho, with him bringing it back for Konoe's review per the higher-ups' instructions.

Konoe nodded as well as Watari, and the Gushoshin Twins. He motioned Tatsumi to join them and briefed his secretary by saying, "Gushoshin, please turn on the projector and let us review what you've gathered so far. Tatsumi, are you ready to talk about these profiles?"

"Yes, Kacho…. I reviewed the folders before my meeting at Enma-Cho."

With a nod, Konoe then said with a gentle and pleased smile, "Thank you, Tatsumi. We'll start whenever you're ready."

Upon Tatsumi's prompt, Gushoshin Elder turned off the lights inside the conference room while Gushoshin Younger turned on the slide projector.

The first picture showed a handsome and dapper-looking middle-aged man with silvered hair. Although he was good-looking, there was a hint of cruelty veiled on his face. As the man's picture showed before everyone, Tatsumi explained, "This is Kowabara Kenji, one of the top bosses for a worldwide gaming company. The Earl at the Castle of Candles reported a rise of kiseki-listed individuals whose souls still remain missing and unavailable for judgment before Enma-DaiOh-sama. The abrupt appearance of their names on the list and the discovery of their bodies days after suggest foul play. All of the dead have been associated with Kowabara – either as a rival, a staff member, or an associate. Another interesting tidbit is that every single victim had their eyes missing."

Hearing that last statement from Tatsumi sent a chill to everyone's spine, but that did not stop Tatsumi from sticking to the facts and prompting Gushoshin Younger to go to the next slide.

The second picture showed a handsome young man with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and glasses. The young man was a trademark geek, but was still handsome nonetheless especially without the glasses. "This is Miyazawa Ran – a software engineer and an avid gamer himself. He has been employed at Kowabara Gaming for nearly two years now after he graduated from college. He's being wooed by other companies especially after his projects have been money-making successes."

Watari interjected, his eyes scrutinizing the picture before them, "But he looks like he's barely twenty."

"Miyazawa just turned eighteen last month, to be exact. He's what one would call a prodigy. His name appeared on the kiseki just yesterday. We think that it's just too timely for that to happen especially since the offers of employment from other companies increased," was Tatsumi's reply, his eyes focusing on Watari. His lips remained pursed as he let out a subtle sigh, his fingers interlaced before him while he cradled his chin on his hands.

Konoe then added, "Kowabara's due to board a luxury liner called _Santa Lucia._ He has booked half of the ship for a company party, so all one hundred twenty five of his employees – including Miyazawa – will be there. Our job is to find out the whereabouts of the missing souls, Kowabara's involvement in the deaths and the souls' disappearances, and to save Miyazawa Ran."

Once the Gushoshin turned on the lights since the slides have already been shown, Konoe said, "The ship is leaving the same port as the _Queen Camilla_ had once embarked. I want Tatsumi to get a two-day lead before Watari joins him to avoid suspicion. Each of you has a copy of the case file. The two of you will work together on this case. Your accommodations and your cover are in your folders."

Everyone then nodded, bowing slightly before Konoe and quietly leaving the room.

As Watari closed the door and left behind Tatsumi and Konoe, Tatsumi then said, "I'll leave tonight, Kacho. Thank you…for everything."

With a smile escaping his lips, Konoe told his secretary, "Just bring back some souvenirs and we'll call it even."

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It was late at night when Tatsumi returned to the guest registration at the _Santa Lucia_, his feet tired and his body feeling sluggish. In a shopping bag that he carried were the gifts that he painstakingly picked for Watari.

Once he stood before the person on duty behind the reception desk, the secretary told her, "Good evening. I'm Tatsumi Seiichiro. Has my luggage been delivered to my room?"

Grace, the reception clerk on duty, said with a warm smile on her face, "Yes, Tatsumi-san. We delivered your luggage at Suite 210 just as you have requested. Please enjoy your stay."

"I will," was Tatsumi's reply. He waved farewell to Grace, headed towards the elevator, and went straight to his room. When he opened the door to his cabin suite and the lights have been turned on, he closed the door behind him.

The cabin suite was huge and was filled with all modern-day amenities found in five-star hotels – the perks of having money, or at least pretending to be someone with money. Part of him felt uncomfortable since he considered such luxuries as wasteful.

As Tatsumi unpacked his suitcase and arranged his clothes inside the closet and drawers, he internally justified that the four of them were undercover and that there were two important occasions to be celebrated once Watari joined him. As he accepted that his posh surroundings were all right considering the circumstances, his mind began drifting back on Watari especially whenever his eyes would glance on his cell phone.

"_I miss you. I wonder what you're doing right now,"_ thought Tatsumi along with a subtle sigh. _"You and I unfortunately would have to wait until we're together again."_

After he prepared for the evening and exited out of the bathroom with his pajamas on, Tatsumi laid on the large and soft bed. He let out a yawn which had been stifled a couple of times as he sneezed, his head beginning to throb a bit.

Tatsumi sat up and picked up his cell phone. After restraining himself on not to do so, he called Watari's number and thought that no harm would come to calling his lover and possibly being overheard. As long as he did not talk about the case, everything would be fine.

As the automated response came on and the line began beeping, Tatsumi smiled ruefully, _"He's in Meifu. I guess he didn't go to Chijou tonight, just as we'd normally do every Friday weeknight when we get paid._"

In spite of feeling sluggish, Tatsumi kept thinking about the two gifts that he purchased for Watari – one for the latter's birthday and another for their one-month anniversary. _"I do hope that he'll like what I have in mind for him."_

But then again, Tatsumi would just have to wait and see – all while he tried to ignore the cold that he seemed to have caught. He kept thinking about Watari, his tired body eventually giving in and letting sleep take over. As he slept, vivid images of being with Watari in so many innocent and carnal ways filled his dreams.

Little did the shadow master know that the blonde scientist was lying in bed at home in Meifu also thinking about him.

**End of Chapter Ten

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**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._


	11. Closer

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Eleven: Closer

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**

"What have you been doing for two days? For Enma's sakes, you look like…."

"Like Hell… Like death warmed over? I was fine all this time until I got up at dawn. I took a bath this morning and I just started feeling under the weather," said Tatsumi to Watari, his nose definitely stuffed up and a sneeze following immediately after his words. His eyes were red and watery. His body felt heavy and sluggish. His throbbing head shook since he still could not fathom how he got sick being as careful and as meticulous as he had always been.

Watari smiled at his lover in an empathetic yet inwardly-amused manner as he took off his coat and his shoes. He certainly knew from first glance that Tatsumi was sick judging from the dark circles under Tatsumi's reddish and watery eyes, the paler skin, the reddened nose, and Tatsumi's usually rich tone changing a bit due to the congestion in his lungs.

By this time, Watari generally knew what was going on inside Tatsumi's head from the way that the secretary had been acting. He would not be surprised if Tatsumi wanted to kick himself for allowing his body to get sick. He approached Tatsumi and then touched his lover's cheek. He blinked, getting caught off-guard as Tatsumi looked away and avoided the kiss.

"I don't want you to get sick. Bad enough that I'm not feeling well…"

As his smile turned into a pursed-lipped frown and a sigh following afterwards, Watari said, "We shinigami still get sick, so all you need to do is rest. By the looks of it, I'd say that you've had this lingering on and you ignored it."

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed a bit, his temper definitely thinner since his head and chest were congested. "We _have_ a case to solve! I_ can't_ afford to be sick!"

And Watari's eyes narrowed as well, with him doing so in a much-more dangerous way than Tatsumi's annoyed glare. "And I'm telling you that the case _doesn't_ start until four days from now, so you have time to rest and recuperate. Now just lie down."

"But I still have to read –"

Glaring death at the secretary, Watari deadpanned, "For the next four days, you're _not_ reading any case files. You're _not_ leaving this bed unless you're getting some fresh air. And I will _definitely_ be as close to you as I wish to be. That's what you need to do so that you're well enough to handle this case with me when the time comes. _You're_ resting and your stubborn ways _won't _bully me out of taking care of you. _That's_ final, Tatsumi Seiichiro…."

Tatsumi and Watari exchanged death glares, the two at this point definitely having lost their better judgment and cooler tempers. The stare-down took a long while with no one daring to blink.

Finally, Tatsumi relaxed as he took his turn in being caught off-guard as Watari touched his feverish cheek and kissed him. He did not want the blonde scientist to get sick, but his sense of reason left from him as his hazy and fever-addled mind allowed him to drown into that kiss that he now shared with Watari.

As Tatsumi had been reminded of how much he missed Watari over the past two days, he reciprocated Watari's kisses with equal fervor. His hands felt as if it touched gold for the first time once they rested on Watari's body. The kisses between Watari and him continued, that kiss taking a more explorative and intimate turn.

Watari then gently drew away from the kiss and told Tatsumi as he took the opportunity to catch his breath, "You need to rest…."

"I'm not _that_ sick…" Tatsumi whispered back, his half-lidded and watery eyes now further glazed from that kiss he shared with Watari as well as the promises of things that could happen after that kiss.

"Let us rest first. Take a nap, perhaps?" suggested Watari with a smile escaping from his lips, his temper reverting to its usual chipper state. He led Tatsumi to the bed, with him taking the lead in slipping them under the covers.

Tatsumi mumbled, feeling drowsy again as he lay in bed, "If you ever feel like returning to the next room…the adjoining suite… Feel free to do so. There's a door connecting our suites, so you could always come and go as you please…"

Slipping his arm between Tatsumi's arm and waist from behind and drawing the other close to him for a cuddle, Watari told Tatsumi, "Thank you for thinking about me, but I'm staying right here. Now stop thinking and let your body rest."

By this time, Tatsumi had lost the energy to argue. He allowed sleep to take him over as his feverish body's demands were far greater than his mind's willingness to stay awake and deny the fact that he was sick.

Although Watari was worried about Tatsumi, at least he felt a little better being together again with Tatsumi. He just had to focus on taking care of Tatsumi and keeping a watchful eye on Tatsumi so that the latter could recover as soon as possible.

So how hard would it be to take care of a loved one who was ill?

"_Piece of cake… I'll make him feel better in no time,"_ thought Watari as he snuggled from behind Tatsumi, closing his eyes as he made Tatsumi's health and recovery his priority for the next four days.

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"You're so stubborn, do you know that? You can't even lift your arms and you need to eat!" said Watari as he glared at Tatsumi. The two of them have been debating back and forth an hour after they have woken up from their nap. Watari held a spoon filled with chicken soup, his efforts in feeding Tatsumi comparable to pounding his head hard against the wall.

"I can't be lying down all this time," said Tatsumi, his fever now becoming full-blown and his cold getting worse so he was definitely in no shape to be doing anything but rest. His flu killed his appetite completely although he had not eaten anything since morning.

"You're staying in bed until you recover, or I'll do something that we'll both regret."

Tatsumi blinked for a couple of minutes, his hazy mind not registering what Watari was insinuating. When he met the other's gaze and gauged as to what the other could have been thinking, his eyes eventually went wide. "You're using _that_ to blackmail me into staying in bed?"

From the way that Watari's honey-colored eyes glinted as he stared back at Tatsumi, he flatly stated, "You're _not_ born yesterday. Why can't you even spell it out? Yes, I'm not sleeping with you even if you get well. I don't know for how long, but I'll do it for as long as it takes. You need to get through your thick head why you shouldn't be this bull-headed about these things."

"I'm not _that_ sick!" said Tatsumi, the volume of his voice raising and eventually making him cough.

Watari's anger dissipated as he saw how weak Tatsumi looked, especially when he saw Tatsumi look away from him.

A long pause for silence stood between the two lovers with Tatsumi looking down and staring at his hands while Watari's gaze never left Tatsumi.

When Watari decided to break the silence between them, his tone softened. His sadness and plea laced in his words as he told the secretary, "When will you let those who love you take care of you for a change? You've watched and protected all of us from a distant. Why won't you let us watch and protect you for a change, especially when you need it most? Why are you being so selfish that way?"

Then a rueful smile broke out from Watari's lips as his eyes glistened with tears. "You do trust me, don't you?"

Tatsumi closed his eyes for a couple of minutes before he met Watari's gaze once more. "I trust you. I trust you with everything that I have and am. You should know that by now."

"Then if that's the case, let me take care of you. Let me do this for you. That's what a person would do for a loved one. You most especially should know that. Don't rob that right and privilege away from me."

Tears welled in Tatsumi's eyes. There was something in the way that Watari said his words that touched his heart. He was speechless, especially when Watari interlaced fingers with his hand and grasped his weak hand with such affection.

"You're sick, Seii. Being sick doesn't mean anything more than the fact that you're just sick. Don't make it more than what it is," were Watari's warm and gentle words, his gaze still focused on Tatsumi.

Watari relaxed when he saw Tatsumi nod as a reply, and felt relieved when Tatsumi accepted the spoonful of soup and finished the rest of the bowl of soup with his help and without protest. He was inwardly thankful for he knew that Tatsumi did not have much of an appetite due to the flu but the latter finally listened to good reason and did what was told.

Pleased that his patient was being obedient, Watari softly smiled and then marched to the bathroom. He could see how a quiet Tatsumi's eyes went wide as he returned with a basin of hot water and a face-towel inside the water.

After Watari checked the drawers, pulled out a clean pair of pajamas and a pair of boxers for Tatsumi, and placed it within reach, he then began giving his lover a sponge bath starting with the face, ears, and neck.

As Watari helped Tatsumi remove the latter's pajamas, he heard Tatsumi mumble, "This is embarrassing."

Tatsumi's comment simply elicited an inward chuckle from Watari. The blonde scientist merely knew that Tatsumi was being just crabby about the entire prospect of being taken care of, but this time he knew that the secretary accepted that help and just needed to adjust.

Once the pajama top was off, Watari then continued giving the secretary a sponge bath and said, "I've seen you naked before. What's the big deal?"

"My mother used to do this for me," were Tatsumi's words which followed after he let out a sigh. He knew what followed next – the smell of rubbing alcohol and feel of warm water against his skin giving him momentary relief.

While Watari helped Tatsumi slip into a clean pajama top and buttoned it for his patient, he told the other in a teasing yet endearing fashion, "Well, you've just_ this_ short from being a protective father for us so just enjoy it. If it makes you feel better, then you're more than allowed to do the same for me when I get sick…not that I plan on being sick anytime soon."

Tatsumi felt more embarrassed as Watari stripped the lower part of his body and began bathing him, with him doing his best to move or open up his body so that it would be easier for Watari to cleanse and clothe him.

The secretary felt a greater flush course through his body as he heard a smirking Watari tell him while putting away the basin and face-towel, "You're right, Seii. You're not _that _sick."

And Watari's words were followed by a playful wink that made an embarrassed Tatsumi chuckle with amusement and say as Watari now proceeded to comb his hair, "I told you that I'm not _that_ sick, didn't I?"

The smile from Watari became warmer still as he finished his task by placing the comb in the nightstand drawer, taking and cleaning Tatsumi's glasses, and then helping Tatsumi with wearing the glasses.

With basin in hand and ready to march back to the bathroom and clean up what was used, Watari told Tatsumi as he stood up, "I'll take that tempting discovery into consideration. But you need to rest. The television remote control is at the nightstand table. I'll just clean this up. Your job is to rest and get well."

"Thank you, Yutaka. I'm so glad that you're here." After those words, Tatsumi closed his eyes as Watari bent down and kissed him on the forehead. He then did not remove his gaze from Watari as the latter went to the bathroom. He turned on the television as he heard Watari go about cleaning up everything that was used to bathe him.

Once Watari was done with his task, he told Tatsumi, "I'll go take a stroll around the ship and do some legwork. I'll compare what I see with the ship's blueprint specifications given to us by the Gushoshin. I'll come back in an hour with ointment, fruit, and foods that will help you get well sooner."

Watari kissed Tatsumi on the lips, the kiss lingering as it took a more intimate turn. But the two eventually drew away from each other, with Watari whispering to Tatsumi, "I'll be back soon, Seii. Just rest so that we could enjoy the remainder of our stay here as soon as you get well, all right?"

"Yes, I will," said Tatsumi as he planted a short kiss on Watari's lips. "Be careful out there."

The lovers parted with exchanging smiles and glances shortly before Watari closed the door behind him.

Tatsumi then let out a sigh, glad that he was now reunited with Watari but nonetheless so annoyed over the fact that he was sick. Watari's birthday was five days away, so he aimed to get well before then.

----------------------------------------------------------------

It had been almost an hour since Watari left the suite. He now held paper bags which contained three jars of camphor and eucalyptus ointment, oranges, apples, and bananas.

The blonde scientist walked around the ship, marveling how posh the ship looked as well as the cordial crew that seemed to embody the sophisticated and friendly ambiance that the ship wished for its patrons to enjoy during their trip.

There were areas of the ship which were off-limits for Watari's view such as the VIP area where Kowabara's company party would take place which was not out-of-the-ordinary.

However, Watari saw someone crouched on the floor.

Watari walked briskly and quickly placed down his bags, helping the other gather up a couple of books as well as medication such as an inhaler and a couple of pill bottles. He noticed the cause of the accident – a paper bag which now had a huge hole for its bottom.

Being a Good Samaritan, Watari removed the items from one of his three paper bags and evenly distributed the items' weight into the two remaining bags. He and then the stranger placed the items which scattered on the floor into the new bag.

Once the task was done, Watari and the stranger he helped straightened up. He hid his surprise when the stranger spoke and said, "Thank you very much for helping me. Everyone else just passed by and didn't care."

Quickly recovering and successfully able to hide his surprise, Watari replied, "Glad to help… So are you here on business or for pleasure?"

"I guess both," said the stranger with a smile. Before giving Watari a cordial bow, he said, "My name's Miyazawa Ran, and thank you for helping me."

Watari returned the respectful and kind gesture and then said, "My name's Watari… Watari Yutaka. I'm pleased to meet you. I'm also here on the ship for both business and pleasure."

"I'd like to thank you properly for your help. Please let me buy you a cup of coffee or tea so that we could sit down for a couple of minutes and talk," proposed Ran and smiled as Watari nodded his acceptance.

As the two walked to the café within sight inside the ship, Watari thought as he remembered in his mind's eyes as to how the younger man's dark brown eyes expressed such gratitude and revealed such a beautiful nature inside as well as outside,_ "He's much more handsome in person even with the glasses. For someone in his profession and with his brain, he's down-to-earth and very cheerful. I wonder why Kowabara or anyone would want to kill him."_

The two started talking once they settled in and spent time drinking tea while sharing stories about their profession, with Watari doing so while remembering his cover for this case.

To Watari, there was something so engaging about Ran.

At the same time, Ran was just engrossed in talking to Watari. To him, Watari had this quality that made people comfortable.

And so the two talked…the minutes flying by as quickly as they did so over tea….

**End of Chapter Eleven

* * *

**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters._


	12. The Night for GreenEyed Monsters

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Twelve: The Night for Green-eyed Monsters

* * *

**

"_He's been gone for close to three hours now. I hope he's all right,"_ thought Tatsumi as he once again glanced at the wall clock against the wall in front of him. His eyes were getting more watery as his fever rose higher, the only relief that he could do was to rub his un-spectacled eyes with the back of his hands.

The television was still on although Tatsumi was simply utilizing it as a radio and a substitute companion since Watari was not back yet. He gave up on his glasses and just placed them on the night table since his eyes were watering badly as he began to sneeze substantially more. He did not care anymore if he could only manage to see a blur without the glasses since his eyes bothered him a lot and his headache worsened as time went on.

As fatigue overcame Tatsumi, he fell asleep in a sitting position while he stayed in bed. He had been waiting for Watari's return but his sick body could only last so long.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Watari and Ran were whiling the time away laughing and sharing their respective wealth of information until Watari noticed that the sun was about to set from the door leading to the deck.

"Oh no… I'm late…" said Watari as he blinked, feeling tense as he remembered Tatsumi. He then told the younger man, "Ran, I'm sorry. I have to leave."

This time, it was Ran's turn to blink. "I kept you too long. I'm sorry."

With an apologetic smile escaping his lips, Watari told Ran, "No apologies necessary. Thanks for the tea."

The server who waited on Watari and Ran went to the kitchen, placed some chicken noodle soup inside a large Styrofoam container, and then handed it to Watari with a bow and a word of gratitude as the two gathered their belongings.

"When will I get to see you, Yutaka?" asked Ran as he stood up along with Watari. When he noticed that his question caught Watari off-guard, he genially added, "My company's having a party and I don't have friends or family so I still have room for four guests under my name. I'd love it if you could come to the party. It's four nights from now."

"I…" said Watari, the blonde scientist doing his best not to stammer. "I'm not alone in this trip, Ran. In fact, he's sick right now and I have to return to him."

"My suite is over there," explained Ran as he pointed to his right. "Where's your suite?"

"Same direction," said Watari as he gathered up his bags.

Ran beamed, smiling much warmer than he already had been doing. "Great! Let us walk together then, and I do hope that your friend gets well soon. It's such a shame to be in such a cool trip and not be able to enjoy it."

As the two walked, Watari asked, "You said that you don't have any friends or family?"

Ran explained in a calm manner as he hugged the paper bag he now carried for further support, "I don't go out much. I have friends – _virtual_ friends. My social existence is mostly online. I do role-playing games, blogs, stuff like that. If I get bored, I read books, play videogames, work on new programs, or work out at the gym. I get along well with my co-workers, but after work we all do our own thing. I don't have friends outside of work and I rarely go out. As to family, my father passed away when I was young. My mother remarried and has been living with my stepfather for five years now. Since she remarried, she has a life of her own and she never called me since then. I'm the only child, and she took Dad's death pretty hard."

"I've heard of stories wherein parents treat their children awfully," said Watari, recalling Hisoka's life story as he talked with Ran. "Why do you think your Mother's been distant from you?"

With a soft smile and lighthearted calmness, Ran replied, "I guess that I remind her too much of my Dad. She felt that he abandoned her when he died."

Watari sighed. "That's rather unreasonable…"

"I still love her, Yutaka. I'm not waiting for the day that she and I would have a closer relationship, but if that time ever comes I'll let the chips fall where they lie. If that day ever comes, it would probably turn out as if nothing wrong had ever happened between us. She has her reasons for doing what she did. There's no use blaming her or dwelling on things that have already happened."

"You're rather forgiving…."

Gazing deeply in Watari's eyes, Ran replied, "I've made a life for me. I love what I do and I see that people enjoy the things that I create. That's a blessing to me. I'd rather spend my thoughts and energies on my blessings rather than my woes"

The blonde scientist smiled. He knew deep down that he was a good judge of character, and he could feel that Ran did not bear a bitter bone or emotional axes to grind. He had a good conversation with the younger man, and there was an amiable aura that the latter exuded.

Finally, one of them reached his destination…

The two were now in front of Tatsumi's door. It was evident from the way that they moved and looked at each other that they still wanted to talk some more, but unfortunately that time needed to be cut short.

"It's nice talking to you," said Ran, his expressive brown eyes reflecting the warm smile that came from his lips. "I'm at the end of this hallway – the last suite on the left. I do hope that you and your friend could make it to the party. I'll slip in the invitations underneath your door when I get a chance."

"Nice talking to you, too," was Watari's reply. "We'll attend the party. I hope that Seii's well by that time."

The smile from Ran became warmer – something that Watari took as rather charming. "Good. I'll wait for both of you at the party. Thanks again for the help earlier, and I'll see you. I hope that your friend gets well soon."

The two exchanged slight bows and then Ran turned around, walking away from Watari and heading towards his suite.

Watari opened the door and closed it behind him. He was about to turn on the light and then stopped as someone in the dark spoke out….

"Are you all right? Where have you been?"

A ruefully-smiling Watari turned on the light and then faced Tatsumi, the latter sitting on the bed. He caught a glimpse of Tatsumi's shadows flickering around the latter as if they were keeping their master company. "I bumped into Miyazawa Ran at the deck. He had a hole in his bag, so all his stuff poured all over the floor. I helped him out. He and I had tea while we talked."

"I see…" murmured Tatsumi, his face flushed and his eyes still very much watery. His voice sounded as if he was suffering from aches – typical symptoms of a full-blown flu. "I was worried about you. You said that you'd be back in an hour. You could've called me, especially since you've bumped into one of our reasons for being in this ship."

The blonde scientist frowned a bit. He did feel bad already since he was late in returning to Tatsumi. The guilt became worse as the secretary reminded him that he did have a cell phone with him, so he could have just called Tatsumi to let him know that he was going to be out much later than promised.

"So what do you think of Miyazawa Ran?" asked Tatsumi, his watery blue eyes focused on Watari. Although his tone was even, he did not show to Watari that he could notice some subtle things from Watari since the latter returned to him. He would rather hear and see it from the blonde scientist rather than jump to conclusions.

And so Watari shared what he had found out about Ran to Tatsumi, with Tatsumi falling more and more silent as Watari's tone changed from guarded to animated. Tatsumi could tell that there was endearment laced in Watari's tone the more that Watari talked about the intelligent, handsome, nerdy, and down-to-earth young engineer.

"So we have a party to go to four days from now?" Tatsumi murmured, his temper stewing deep inside him although his tone was calm. His eyes were the only way for anyone to tell as to what was going inside him.

Tatsumi was unaware that his shadows flickered and reflected his moods so openly before Watari.

Noticing those shadows and as to how Tatsumi's eyes had that quiet yet unnerving gleam to them, Watari calmly suggested, "I'll peel some apples for us. I also bought you some soup. It'll help you recover faster."

"I'm not hungry, Yutaka," said Tatsumi as he took a subtle sigh. He was telling the truth. He was rather hungry earlier but the wait and the irritation quelled his appetite.

"But you have to eat!" blurted out Watari with a glare aimed at his patient. "Why are you being stubborn again?"

"I'm _not_ being stubborn. I'm not hungry anymore. Maybe later, I will…but not now… I just want to rest."

Watari's glare became far more dangerous as his temper began to boil due to Tatsumi's refusal to eat. "You need to eat something. I'm not going to tell you twice."

"Yutaka, I'm not feeling well. I'm nauseous. If I eat anything, I'll vomit it out. My stomach feels raw right now. I also have a throbbing headache."

"Because you need food! Just eat a couple of slices of apples to coat your stomach."

"_Fine," _Tatsumi growled quietly with a silent glare, his temper bubbling more towards the surface. As Watari peeled some apples for them to share, the quieter he became.

One could cut the tension-filled air with a knife. The two lovers respectively felt that tension weigh down upon them as time went on.

As he continued paring and cutting apples, Watari deadpanned after he and Tatsumi spent thirty minutes being silent with each other, "Why don't you spell out what's on your mind, Seii?"

"There's nothing to say," was Tatsumi's reply in-between small and forced bites of apple slices.

"You sure know how to make someone feel rotten. I was late. I didn't call. I'm sorry," said Watari with his words bearing the irritation and guilt that he had over the situation.

The blonde scientist's words made Tatsumi's already-volatile temper flare up even more, yet he still kept his calm voice as he told Watari, "It's been done. Let us not talk about it. You're safe. _That's_ what's important."

Feeling as if he was once again hitting his head against a brick wall, Watari placed the plate of apples and everything in his hand on the nightstand table. With quiet intent, he told Tatsumi, "No. We're talking about this _now_. You're sick. Something's bothering you. If you're angry with me, then spill it out."

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed. "Do you want me to vent out due to my well-being, or to pacify your guilt?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said a miffed Watari as he silently quelled a snort that threatened to come out from him.

"I sure don't know what I'm talking about," Tatsumi quietly retorted, his razor-sharp gaze focused on Watari. "Why don't you enlighten me about that?"

"About what?!"

"About Miyazawa Ran, Yutaka."

"He and I _just_ talked. He and I got carried away and didn't notice the time. _That's all._ I should've been back here because you're sick…" Watari then shook his head and met Tatsumi's gaze in such a silent yet defiant fashion – neither one of them wanting to budge or give in to the other.

"I don't give a damn that I'm sick – do you not get it, Yutaka? I've been worried about you. I didn't want you to return quickly so that someone could take care of me. I wanted you to return on the time that you promised or you could've at least called me about running late. Then I found out that you're so wrapped up in our case that you forgot everything else."

Watari's forehead crinkled as his eyes narrowed much more. Hearing the words_ wrapped up_ coming from Tatsumi's lips just did not sound right to him, which prompted him to say, "Are you insinuating that I spent the time _flirting_ with Miyazawa Ran?"

The way that Watari responded stumped Tatsumi, his mind playing another variation of his already-awry thoughts. "_Don't_ put words in my mouth. We're in a case. We both need to keep a level of scrutiny on everyone we encounter in this ship. The young man's obviously charmed with you and that's something that I'm aware of. I'm upset that you're late and were made late because of this young man. I was _not_ upset _nor_ was I thinking that you've been flirting with someone else."

This time, it was Watari who fell silent. His mind ran like clockwork, now realizing that he pushed this conversation far beyond where it was supposed to go.

As to Tatsumi, he did not know how to react. The fever, his headache, and everything else dulled his senses – all while the green-eyed monster named jealousy throbbed deep inside him and nagged his mind.

After the long and awkward silence between the two lovers, Tatsumi's heart grew heavier as his jealous curiosity immensely heightened. His eyes were transfixed on Watari as he asked in a quiet yet intent tone, "Were you flirting with Miyazawa Ran, Yutaka?"

----------------------------------------------------------

Ran finished testing a batch of code that he had been working on for months with a smile on his face, his fist clenching vigorously as he whispered with such enthusiasm, "Yes! Damn, it works! I can't believe that it now works!"

The young software engineer's eyes remained glued on the computer monitor as he watched Medea the Enchantress – one of his female characters from his latest work-in-progress video game – undergo a series of movements after being given the command. Her movements were now near-perfectly fluid and awe-striking in Ran's standards.

By this time, Ran honed the major glitches in his latest project named _Terra Novum _– a sequel to an internationally-popular fantasy role-playing game for the computer, video-game consoles, and on-line gaming.

With these glitches addressed, Ran was closer in delivering his promise – a sequel that would surpass the enchantment and excitement that its predecessor had provided. Although Medea was just one of the many characters in his game, Ran considered each character as if he or she was a real person. He had such an endearing attachment to his work, his passion and fertile imagination surely pouring out into his works.

"Damn, Medea, I'm so proud of you. They're still going to keep their eyes glued on you. They'll just see how much more fireworks you could come up with these new mage powers of yours," said Ran to the computer monitor as if Medea was alive and well to hear his words.

Once he saw that new code finish via the completion of Medea's movements, Ran saved the data and turned off the computer. He only realized how tired he really was when he turned off his machine.

Since he was already dressed and ready for bed, Ran slipped under the covers and remembered things to smile about for today. "I met a really nice, cute, and intelligent guy this afternoon and Medea's now perfect. Today's a _very_ good day indeed. So tomorrow, I'll work on Mercurio's new battle moves after I deliver an invitation to Yutaka."

The young man then yawned and stretched at the same time before he closed his eyes.

Shortly thereafter, Ran fell asleep…his mind slipping him into one of the many fantasy lands that he had brought to life in his games.

Dark mist then crept in and pooled around Ran's bed.

As the night grew deeper, a now-regular nightly visitor that Ran was unaware about crouched by Ran's bedside. The figure of darkness' blood-chilling green eyes glowed merely less than a foot away from Ran's span of sight, with it being able to feel the warmth from Ran's breathing…a nose and a mouth prominently absent from the ghoulish figure's face.

The strange visitor tilted its head as if it was studying every crevice of Ran's face as well as his every movement. It fed off from the joy that coursed so purely and strongly within Ran's being, with its focus pinned on Ran's face. It focused most particularly on how Ran's eyes moved underneath the eyelids as the young man dreamed.

Throughout the night, the mysterious and unearthly being watched the sleeping young man with such curiosity…the figure just waiting for the right time to claim its prize.

**End of Chapter Twelve

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**

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori, Kowabara, Miyazawa Ran, Medea the Enchantress, Mercurio, Terra Novum, and other original characters and names._


	13. Tug of War

**YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Thirteen: Tug-of-War **

* * *

Watari stirred from sleep at seven in the morning, his mind still half-asleep as he moved in bed. He instinctively reached over to the other side of the bed, his mind thereafter registering that something was out of place.

A soft groan escaped from Watari's lips, not wanting to wake up just yet but his subconscious prodded his hand to pat on the other side of the bed until his mind roused to wakefulness. He then momentarily blinked and his eyes slightly opened as he realized what – or who – was missing.

There was no Tatsumi beside Watari in bed.

The blonde scientist sat up as his eyes scanned the suite he and Tatsumi were in, thinking, _"Where could he be? He's still sick."_

Seconds later, Watari's question was answered as his gaze landed on Tatsumi. He saw the secretary sitting on the couch and looking at the view of the ocean outside as well as the clear skies. He also noticed how Tatsumi seemed deep in thought and somewhat quieter than usual.

Taking in a deep breath and then letting out a subtle sigh, Watari pondered, _"Maybe he's upset because he couldn't go anywhere and be as 'productive' as he wants to be. He's still sick, after all."_

It took a while of watching Tatsumi before Watari finally decided to take the risk and approach his lover. He then noticed the fancy ivory parchment envelope sitting on the nightstand table by his side of the bed. He was pursed-lipped when he picked up the still-sealed envelope with his name written in neat and artistic calligraphy, wondering where the card originated from. He flipped the envelope and blinked.

The envelope bore a fancy red wax seal with a majestic-looking letter _M_ imprinted on the wax, fine strips of red silk ribbon secured by wax and giving the seal a more refined look.

Watari became more curious and intrigued, being so careful as he opened the envelope. A soft smile escaped from his pursed lips as he realized who and where the envelope and its contents came from. He read the invitation which said...

* * *

_Kowabara Corporation cordially invites you and a guest _

_For a night of merriment and mystery aboard the prestigious Santa Lucia_

_Allow your imagination to escape as we transport you to Victorian England._

_In your finest, you and others will roam the cobblestone roads and gas-lit streets._

_Celebrate the launching of our newest role-playing game, __Sleuth of Sussex Street_

_Enjoy the festivities by not only mingling with the brains behind the game_

_But by also being involved in our live-action role play as one of the characters._

_Who knows? You might become the sleuth or the culprit for the evening._

_Are you ready to unravel the mystery? _

_Do you have the mettle to do so?_

_Join us...if you dare..._

* * *

An amused Watari then felt a post-it behind the cardstock parchment invitation. He turned over the invitation and read the note which said...

* * *

_Yutaka-san,_

_I thank you for the help yesterday as well as the nice chat over tea._

_I'll be humbled and honored if you and Tatsumi-san could come to the party._

_Sleuth of Sussex Street__ is one of my creations, so I'm happy to see it launch._

_Please call or visit me at my suite if you or Tatsumi-san would need anything from me._

_Warmest regards, __Ran_

_ps__: Please send my regards to Tatsumi-san as well. I do hope that he gets well soon._

* * *

_"That's very nice of him,"_ thought Watari as his silent smile became a tad warmer than before.

"Is that from Miyazawa Ran?"

Watari glanced towards Tatsumi, the latter's gaze still transfixed at the view outside the window as the ship sailed to its first destination. Although Tatsumi's voice was even-toned, he could tell that the very object in his hand bothered the secretary.

And so Watari's equally even-toned yet inwardly nervous reply was, "Yes, it is. It's for both of us."

"I see…" murmured Tatsumi, shifting just a little bit to remain comfortable in his current position.

The blonde scientist approached the secretary and handed the invitation. His golden-brown eyes were focused on Tatsumi and he expected Tatsumi to show signs of irritation, disappointment, or doubt.

Yet to Watari's silent surprise and gnawing guilt, Tatsumi remained silent. He could tell from those watery yet smoldering blue eyes of Tatsumi's that Tatsumi was stewing over what happened last night.

Watari felt that he could not blame his lover. How could he? Here was the normally independent Tatsumi, sick and needing help. Here he was laboriously and heatedly debating with the secretary as to why the latter should allow for people to help him.

And after Tatsumi allowed help, Watari ended up talking to Ran…the conversation being so entertaining that he did not realize the importance of calling the secretary until two-and-a-half hours later.

The blonde scientist knew that last night was a mere oversight, but as to why he committed such a grave oversight was unknown to him. The argument between Tatsumi and him ended with him not giving Tatsumi a straight answer, and with Tatsumi merely dropping the subject.

The evening between the lovers was excruciatingly painful since they pretended to be asleep, although Tatsumi could not successfully do it as well as Watari did because he had been coughing and sneezing all evening.

Today, however, was another day – another day that Watari hoped would be better than last night.

Once Tatsumi began reading the fancy invitation and the accompanying note, Watari coaxed Tatsumi to scoot forward and give him room. He then cuddled Tatsumi from behind, letting his patient lean against his body and rest while doing his best to placate the other's silently sour mood.

Tatsumi secured the invitation back into its envelope and gave it back to Watari. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh, allowing his body to snuggle more comfortably against Watari once the invitation had been put away. He was still not feeling well. His eyes were still reddish and watery. His chest and nose were still congested. He still had a fever although his temperature had gone down since last night. His body ached and his head throbbed with a headache.

While Tatsumi had his eyes closed in efforts to relax, Watari asked, "You're still angry with me, aren't you?"

It took a little while before Tatsumi managed to reply, "I'll get over it."

After a long period of silence between them, Watari said in a calm, soft, and appeasing tone, "He's just a sweet kid who doesn't have many friends, Seii. He's friendly and harmless. He and I just talked after I helped him – nothing more."

The secretary let out a subtle sigh before responding, "I know…"

A tightlipped smile escaped from Watari's lips. He gently drew Tatsumi closer to him and affectionately tightened his cuddle. "I'm very sorry about last night, Seii. It was my fault for losing track of time. I should've returned sooner last night…not made you worry about me. I didn't realize that you'd worry _that _much about me until last night."

A still-sick Tatsumi did not say anything yet he did listen intently to what Watari had just told him. For his reply, he lay down on the couch, used his lover's lap as a cushion for his head, snuggled against the other until he was comfortable, and closed his eyes.

Although there were no words said between them, Watari understood what was going on in Tatsumi's mind. He empathetically smiled as he gently carded his fingers through Tatsumi's hair, providing Tatsumi some much-needed comfort and affection especially after their spat last night.

Later on, Tatsumi murmured while his eyes remained closed, "There was a light hint of cologne along with other psychic traces on the invitation. He is a sweet kid. Lighthearted aura about him… He also likes you."

Watari was about to ask Tatsumi about what was just said but the question remained unasked. He let out a soft sigh as he continued comforting a now-sleeping Tatsumi.

The blonde scientist remained silent as another tinge of guilt pinched his heart while his gaze rested on Tatsumi. On a factual standpoint, nothing happened between Ran and him save for an engrossing conversation between two geeks. However, the more that he thought about the spat that he and Tatsumi had last night the harder it became to convince himself that Tatsumi's jealousy had no merit.

Glancing at Tatsumi, Watari train of thought ran as if he was talking to his lover, _"I love you, Seii. There's nothing for you to worry about. __Nothing__ at all…. What should I do to convince you?"_

Eventually, Watari fell asleep along with Tatsumi while his thoughts nagged him. Before he fell asleep, he decided for Tatsumi and him to accept Ran's invitation. He figured that the party was the perfect opportunity to get closer to Kowabara and Ran. He also figured that spending some time with Ran would give him some answers to the questions that now plagued his mind.

--

The following day came with Tatsumi opening his eyes. As he stretched for a couple of seconds, gauging that he felt much better after his seemingly-endless bout with the flu. He was relieved that his congestion and headache lightened up considerably.

Tatsumi then stirred in bed. He smiled softly and cuddled Watari from behind. His smile became warmer as a still-sleeping Watari instinctively snuggled against him as if he was a security blanket.

In turn, Tatsumi drew Watari close to him and closed his eyes. He hated waking up late or sleeping in, but he chose to make an unbelievable exception. After all, staying in bed meant more rest for recovery as well as more quality time to spend with Watari.

Minutes later, sleep visited Tatsumi once more as his still-healing body coaxed his subconscious to rest once more.

The hours then flew uneventfully for the two lovers. When the two had the chance to get up from bed and start their day at three in the afternoon, the two were respectively in a good mood.

It was also the first time in the past couple of days that Tatsumi had some of his appetite back – a sign that Watari took as a strong and hopeful positive that Tatsumi was on the road to recovery. Nonetheless, a still-worried Watari asked, "Are you sure that you're ready to be out like this? There's still two entire days' worth of bed-rest that need to catch up on."

Tatsumi smiled warmly, although the smile still had hints of his weak health at this time. "Yes. I need some air. You're coming with me, so I'll be all right."

Watari gazed at Tatsumi. He saw that the secretary wanted to take a stroll outside the ship and grab a bite to eat. "All right… But at the very moment that I see you get cold or not feeling well, you and I are marching back to our suite."

"Yes, _Doctor_," said Tatsumi with an amused grin. His semi-watery eyes lit up a bit as he added, "Come here…."

The secretary then drew Watari close to him, planting an affectionate peck on Watari's lips before drawing away for a couple of seconds…those couple of seconds spent to gaze into Watari's eyes and sweep away the unruly strands of hair from the other's face.

Then Tatsumi initiated a series of kisses, those kisses being much-longer and passionately deeper. His embrace became more intimate and affectionate.

As to Watari, he melted into those kisses and reciprocated it with equal warmth. After all, this was the most intimate that Tatsumi and he had been since they set foot on the ship.

Tatsumi then pulled away, his blue eyes half-lidded and darkened with lust. "Walk first, then this….?"

"Yes…although I wouldn't mind if we just stay here," murmured Watari with a sheepish smile while his mind still swam from the kiss they just shared.

"We won't be long. I promise," replied Tatsumi with a warm smile before he planted a kiss on Watari's cheek. "Let us go, so that we could return here sooner?"

Watari nodded with a lighthearted grin as he and Tatsumi left their cabin suite for their stroll.

The time together between the lovers indicated that whatever issues they have disagreed upon was merely water under the bridge. The two took the time to go through the ship's museum which was technically the entire ship – the _Santa Lucia_ being a luxury liner during peaceful times and a cargo ship of soldiers and supplies during the two World Wars. The detail-oriented Tatsumi loved his numbers and his history, while the technologically-inclined Watari loved looking at schematics of the ship which was ahead of its time when it was first built.

Eventually, the two went to the restaurant inside the ship. Once Watari informed the hostess that there were two of them dining, she immediately ushered Tatsumi and him to their table.

Tatsumi asked to be excused to wash his hands and went straight to the washroom, leaving Watari at their table.

Once Tatsumi was nearly done washing his hands and was using the hand dryer, he heard someone enthusiastically ask from behind, "Is that you, Koji?'

Tatsumi, knowing that there was no more than one person aside from him inside the washroom, blinked and glanced sideways. He then saw the owner of that voice blink and said, "My apologies. I thought that you're a dear business mentor's son. You and he share similar features."

"_It's… It's __him..." _thought Tatsumi as he immediately recognized Kowabara Kenji. The first thought that he had in mind was that the elder man had an air of charisma in appearance and speech.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," added an apologetic Kowabara.

"No, no… Not at all," replied Tatsumi with a light smile. Once he finished drying his hands, he faced the man and slightly bowed. "Tatsumi Seiichiro's my name. I'm pleased to meet you. I apologize if my voice doesn't sound as well at it normally did since I've been under the weather lately."

Kowabara bowed also, the bow being lower to signify the laced apology behind the gesture. "My name's Kowabara… Kowabara Kenji. I'm pleased to meet you as well."

Feigning ignorance, Tatsumi blinked a bit and his eyes lit up. "Kowabara…as in Kowabara Corporation…? I saw the event postings at the ship's reception area as well as the ballrooms being prepared for the evening."

"Yes, yes…" said Kowabara with a smile veiled with pride. "I'm looking forward to launching this new game and my hard-working staff needs to know that their efforts are appreciated. They'll all be here for the party which would be two nights from tonight. Are you a gamer or are familiar with role-playing games?"

"My companion is familiar with gaming. I'm more interested in history."

"Hold on for a minute, please…" said Kowabara as a warm and enthusiastic smile escaped from his lips, making him look as charming as ever. He pulled out a leather folder from his briefcase and took out an invitation. Afterwards, he took a gold pen and scribbled for a couple of minutes.

As the smile from Kowabara's lips became warmer, he handed a familiar-looking envelope to Tatsumi. "This is an invitation to my company's party. Feel free to bring your guest if you have any. You're a history buff so I could ask for an objective opinion on how historically accurate is this game. I want my products to be high quality and educational, so historical accuracy is very important to me. I also want players to be entertained and educated at the same time."

"Thank you, Kowabara-san…"

"And please, Seiichiro…. Call me Kenji…."

"All right, Kenji" said Tatsumi with a light smile. He did not feel comfortable having a total stranger call him by his first name, nor did he feel comfortable calling a stranger by his first name. Since the rare opportunity of getting close to a suspect was there then he did his best to hide his discomfort.

"I will see you at the party, then?"

"Yes, yes you will," was Tatsumi's reply.

Kowabara then bowed before Tatsumi then said, "I have a couple of business partners to meet. I will see you at the restaurant then."

After returning the cordial gesture, Tatsumi then watch Kowabara leave the washroom. He then washed his hands again as he thought, "Good… This is another opportunity to get closer to the case."

At first, Tatsumi's intention once he left the washroom was to inconspicuously spot where Kowabara was sitting and who the man was sitting with. However, his attention quickly diverted to his table and his eyes instinctively narrowed.

Tatsumi _definitely_ did not like what he saw….

Watari was at the table talking with Miyazawa Ran, the two having no trouble continuing the conversation that had been left off from the night before.

**End of Chapter Thirteen **

* * *

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori, Kowabara, Miyazawa Ran, Medea the Enchantress, Mercurio, Terra Novum, Sleuth of Sussex Street, and other original characters and names._


	14. A Bloody Night for a Lovers' Spat

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP… OR NOT?**

**Chapter Fourteen - A Bloody Night for a Lovers' Spat**

* * *

Tatsumi's burning azure stare was focused at the sight of Watari talking to Miyazawa Ran. He felt as if his fever had returned, but the heat coursing throughout his body was more due to his blood boiling rather than a relapse.

Nonetheless, Tatsumi's temperament appeared cool and collected although there were minor signs that he was still recovering from the flu. He softly smiled and returned to the table that Watari and he had reserved.

Watari and Ran were startled, with Watari smiling back at Tatsumi while knowing from the gleam in Tatsumi's eyes that Tatsumi was not happy.

Ran, on the other hand, did not know Tatsumi as well as Watari did. All that he saw was a tall, handsome, and distinguished-looking gentleman who still looked very attractive even with glasses on.

The blonde scientist felt flustered. Even though he saw that Tatsumi had a soft smile, he just hoped that his lover would not be upset about seeing Ran at their table. At the same time, he did not want Ran to feel awkward or get intimated with Tatsumi's subtle yet effective way of scaring the hell out of people through his reserved mannerisms.

But Tatsumi and Watari were in for a surprise when Ran stood up and placed his hand above his heart. He bowed before Tatsumi and told the secretary in a friendly and apologetic tone, "I'm so sorry for intruding, Tatsumi-san. My name's Miyazawa Ran…or Ran for short. I just wanted to say 'hi' to Yutaka and to meet you as well. I'm pleased and honored to meet you. I'm also glad to see you well."

_"He's calling him Yutaka?" _pondered Tatsumi was he was inwardly caught off-guard with how casual Ran and Watari had become in such a short period of time.

Although the green-eyed monster called jealousy came creeping upon Tatsumi's heart, Tatsumi bowed before Ran to return the warm and cordial greeting that he received from the young man. "I'm please to meet you, too. Please sit down."

Ran smiled back and told Tatsumi and Watari, "Thank you, but I have to beg off for today. I have a couple of deadlines that I must meet for a project. I took a walk to clear my head and I saw Yutaka. I just had to say hi and chat with him since he's been really nice to me."

Tatsumi nodded and so did Watari, the two giving the young man their respective smiles. By this time, Tatsumi let out a more relaxed sigh and said, "Then we'll see each other at the party."

Ran's friendly smile was charming and disarming. "Yes. I'll see you both at the party."

After bowing before the two undercover shinigami, Ran bade farewell and left the restaurant.

"Ah, just in time," said Watari as the order that Tatsumi and he had placed finally arrived, the fragrant aroma of the food making his mouth water.

As the server placed his order before him and took care of serving Tatsumi, Watari noticed the familiar linen envelope resting on the table by Tatsumi's left. He then asked while his gaze rested on the envelope, "Seii, what's that?"

Following where Watari's gaze was focused, Tatsumi replied as he set the linen napkin on his lap, "I bumped into Kowabara in the men's lounge. We had a short talk and he invited me to go to the company party. He's here dining with someone as well."

Watari blinked, getting caught off-guard with the latest development. "You just bumped into him in the men's lounge and you're all chummy with him now? How did that happen?"

After taking the first sip of his soup which gave him some comfort, Tatsumi held the small bowl away from him and replied before taking another sip, "He thought that I was the son of one of his now-deceased business mentors. He apologized for the mistake. At least it's good that he invited me so that he wouldn't suspect why two strangers are there for the party. Ran invited you. He invited me. We could both remain as close to the truth as possible while our investigation's ongoing. It's just a blessing that the Gushoshin managed to create a thorough cover for both of us without us having to change our names."

Something bothered Watari about Kowabara's invitation to Tatsumi, but he chose to remain quiet about it as he began eating his food. He then concentrated on the fact that Tatsumi was at least eating something and being able to hold it down for a change, consoling and placating the petty nagging going on inside his head.

--

The night of the big party for Kowabara Gaming finally came. The biggest ballroom inside the _Santa Lucia_ was reminiscent of Victorian England's gaslit lamps, light fog, and cobblestone roads.

As many well-known guests ranging from business mavericks within the gaming industry to celebrities came dressed in their finest Victorian England garb, Tatsumi and Watari had no problem blending in as the two walked in and showed their invitations.

The two shinigami were impeccably dressed in black tuxedos, black hats, satin capes, ornate canes, and white gloves which were reminiscent of a proper Victorian gentleman's garb during a night at the theater. Tatsumi looked dashing as he fit the profile of a formal, well-to-do, and shrewd businessman. An equally-handsome Watari exuded a confident air of creative and technical professionalism.

The two circulated in the room.

The servers, all of them dressed up as Victorian England bobbies, made sure that the flow of fine liquor, drinks, and hors d'oeuvre was bountiful as the festivities took a fuller swing.

After an hour of circulating, the two met at their agreed-upon spot.

"Nothing out of the ordinary so far," whispered Watari while doing his best to look as if he was just idly chatting with Tatsumi.

"Nothing here as well --"

"Ah, Seiichiro! I'm so glad that you came to the party!"

Tatsumi glanced sideways and smiled. He gave a bow before Kowabara and then once the respectful pleasantries were done, he said, "Kowabara-san, thank you for the invitation. I came with a guest -- my good friend and business associate Watari Yutaka."

This time, it was Watari's turn to smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kowabara-san. Seii-kun here has spoken very highly of you."

Kowabara chuckled and gave Watari a bow. He then said, "Don't believe in everything that they say, Watari-kun. But am I correct to guess that you're an engineer?"

"Yes, I am an engineer -- a software engineer. Seii-kun and I are really flattered. We did not expect to be invited at this party."

Kowabara then got distracted, a smile escaping from his lips as he prompted someone to approach them. Once that person approached them, Kowabara told Watari and Tatsumi, "Speaking of engineers, here is my best and brightest thus far. Gentlemen, this is Miyazawa Ran."

Watari smiled as he saw Ran, the younger man being so handsome in a tuxedo. He found the young man charming, and he did notice as Tatsumi and he walked in the ballroom that others found Ran to be charming as well.

Little did Watari know that Tatsumi was silently watching him, the secretary not being blind or unfeeling about Watari's seemingly inconspicuous observation of Ran's movements since their arrival.

"We've met already, Kowabara-san," said Ran with a respectful smile after he gave Watari and Tatsumi a bow. "I invited Watari-san to come to the party. He was really helpful when I first arrived at the ship."

"What a coincidence. I invited Seiichiro here because I thought that he is the son of one of my well-respected mentors. I guess I need a new pair of glasses. Nonetheless, it was an auspicious mistake. Meeting good people is always a blessing."

Once again, Kowabara's attention got diverted as an old friend waved at him from afar. He then told his three companions, "I need to say my hellos to the guests. Please excuse me, and enjoy the party. I will return to you before the evening ends."

After he gave a bow to bid his leave, Kowabara went to his friend.

When they were away from Kowabara's earshot, Ran told Tatsumi, "He's got the hots for you, Tatsumi-san. I guess it's not bad, considering that Kowabara-san is a good guy and a nice boss."

This time, it was Ran whose attention got diverted as he saw a co-worker prompting him to prepare for the formal opening of the party. He then smiled apologetically to Watari and Tatsumi. "I'm sorry but I have to start with the ceremonies. I'll be back every now and then to see how you're both doing."

Watari nodded with a genial smile. "It's all right. Seii and I will keep each other company, and you have a ballroom full of fine guests. Don't worry about us. We intend to have fun tonight."

Another impatient co-worker flagged Ran to come to them.

"Go, Ran-kun. We'll be fine.," said Tatsumi to the young software engineer.

Ran then waved goodbye and sprinted towards his co-workers, being able to smoothly navigate his way through the many bodies currently occupying the ballroom without causing a single klutzy mishap.

Tatsumi glanced at Watari, the secretary being able to confirm that Watari had a pursed-lipped smile. He asked, "What?"

The blonde scientist inwardly chuckled, his quiet tone laced with a bit of sarcasm. "I was right. Kowabara has the hots for you. See, I'm not deluded."

Closing his eyes for a couple of seconds as he took in a subtle yet deep breath and then exhaled, Tatsumi replied, "Oh, come on. Do you see me getting so preoccupied with him…just like _someone_ we know?"

Watari's eyebrow rose as he frowned. "I am _not_ preoccupied! Why are you making a big deal that Ran and I talk every now and then? We're in a case."

"That's _exactly_ what I mean. We're in a case and Kowabara's a suspect. Stop hinting that I have the slightest interest in the man. Curb your jealousy since we're at work."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. _You're_ the unreasonably jealous one. You're getting all angry for nothing. Ran's just a kid and he's nice. Just because I'm nice means that I'm interested in going to bed with him?" deadpanned Watari as he made the discussion between Tatsumi and him seem just as if the two were just casually chatting.

The secretary's eyes narrowed, his azure eyes glinting dangerously as he gazed back at Watari. "I haven't even thought about you and Ran going to bed until _you_ brought it up just now. I'm _not_ angry. _This_ is not angry. You _don't _want to see me angry, Yutaka. Now could we just _concentrate_ on why we're here in the first place? We're at work right now."

Watari gave Tatsumi a death glare. "You're not the only one who knows how to get angry. I'll be circulating in the ballroom. After all, we're _working_. Clear the dirt inside your paranoid mind by the time I return."

Without waiting for Tatsumi's response, an inwardly annoyed Watari began walking away from Tatsumi but stopped as three different chimes consecutively rang to grab everyone's attention. Everyone then went to his or her designated table since the program was about to begin.

Watari purposefully sat at a table away from Tatsumi because he was still upset while Tatsumi stayed at their designated table.

An all-smiling Ran went up the lively-decorated stage and stood behind a podium, the young man pushing away his shyness and nervousness and being able to look and sound at ease as he said, "Welcome to this special night hosted by Kowabara Gaming. We hope that you're enjoying the party. Without further delay, please help me welcome the man who spearheads such innovation in the gaming industry…that latest innovation being _The Sleuth of Sussex_… Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our esteemed Chairman and head innovator…Kowabara Senji."

Applause filled the room, the audience in high spirits along with Ran who respectfully stepped aside to give way for Kowabara's entrance. "Underneath your seats are markers as to what roles you will be playing tonight. Please grab the envelope taped underneath your chair."

After Kowabara gave everyone in the room time to look at the card inside the envelope, he said, "It is up to all of us to reveal who the villain is. The only one who knows who the villain is would be the villain himself. Now please raise your hand if you have a gold pin on your card."

Everyone looked around the room and soon, Tatsumi held up the card.

Kowabara smiled knowingly, which inwardly irked Watari because it seemed as if Kowabara was tickled about anything that had to do with Tatsumi. Kowabara then told Tatsumi, "Keep your hand up, Seiichiro-kun. Now for the rest of you, who has the silver pin on your card."

Watari blinked and pouted. He really did not want to play this game but nonetheless he held up the card because he had the silver pin.

Kowabara said before he led the audience to a loud applause, "Congratulations, gentlemen. You two will take the lead for tonight. Please come up and join me."

Once the applause died down, the two shinigami saw Ran holding a deerstalker cap and a matching black cape in one hand while he held a stethoscope with the other hand.

Kowabara then said on the microphone, "My good young friend Seiichiro Tatsumi will play the dashing Count Radcliff Reiley, Lord and Sleuth of Sussex Street for this evening's festivities. Watari Yutaka here will be his loyal and equally astute assistant, comrade, chronicler, and co-investigator Doctor John Wilkins. Miyazawa Ran here will play Anthony Crowder, Count Reiley's trusted young manservant and Doctor Wilkins' apprentice."

Ran helped Tatsumi don the deerstalker and cape while he handed Watari the stethoscope with a smile. He was just happy because his work was being celebrated today.

Then all the lights in the ballroom flickered and died, the loud gasps heard audibly along with sounds of panicked people shifting in the seats.

"Please stay calm and stay in your seats," said Kowabara as he held on to the podium and did his best to have his eyes adjust in the darkness.

Then the lights flickered and went back on after three minutes, laughter from one of the tables filling the ballroom as a panicked woman clung on to her husband and then giggled hysterically as her husband reminded her that it was all just a game.

One of the guests -- the one who Kowabara was talking to a while ago -- now lay face down on the marbled floor. His head lay on a pool of thick crimson liquid.

Tatsumi and Watari walked away from the stage along with Kowabara and Ran, the four running towards that table.

Tatsumi crouched and his eyes narrowed as he turned the man over. His eyes went wide and his heart raced, especially when he found out that the man no longer had a pulse.

Not only was the man's throat slit across but his eyes were now gone…those eyes carved out of their sockets.

"He's...dead..." murmured Tatsumi.

As soon as Tatsumi said those words, the doors to the ballroom all closed. Metal materialized and barred the doors shut.

Fog suddenly filled the ballroom along with a heavy dark aura.

Sinister laughter then echoed throughout the ballroom, the screams of the many mingling along with it as that voice said, "Let us play a game, shall we?"

Soon, the fog became heavier and darkness engulfed the entire ballroom which rendered everyone unconscious.

**End of Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to PJ Zatken._


	15. The Sleuthing Shinigami of Sussex Street

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Fifteen – The Two Sleuthing Shinigami of Sussex Street**

* * *

"Thank heavens you are awake, Doctor Wilkins. I was so worried about you."

After hearing that soothing voice, a very groggy Watari opened his eyes. Without his glasses, it was harder to focus and see who was actually doing the talking but he ventured a guess as to who was the owner of that voice when he asked, "_R…Ran?_ Is that you?"

The owner of that voice handed Watari a pair of glasses while he murmured, "_Ran….? _Come on, Doctor Wilkins. I am Anthony. Anthony Crowder, Lord Reiley's manservant. You took a nasty blow to the head. How are you feeling?"

Once Watari wore his glasses, he did confirm that the one with him was indeed Ran Miyazawa which prompted him to say, "Ran, this _isn't_ a joke. Where's Tatsumi Seiichiro? Where is he?"

Ran's eyes became more frantic and worried. "Doctor, Uncle and his men found you and Lord Reiley unconscious at the town square. You both have been unconscious for three days. I would not be surprised if you and Lord Reiley have at least a concussion, especially Lord Reiley. And who, may I ask, is Tatsumi Seiichiro? Is he the one who attacked you? Or is he a guest that you and Lord Reiley are expecting, yet were not able to tell me about his arrival? "

Watari's eyes squinted. He wanted to yell at Ran but his dizziness and pounding head gave him difficulty to focus. He vaguely remembered such names –

Wilkins… Anthony… Lord Reiley…. Then his mind ran an inventory of exactly who he was with, what was he doing along with the people around him, and how did he end up in his strange surroundings. He then thought, _"Right… The cruise…. The party… Anthony was launching his software…. His game…. Before everything went dim, we had roles. __I'm__ Doctor John Wilkins. Ran is Anthony Crowder. Seii's supposed to be this Count Radcliff Reiley."_

Then Watari's headache became worse as he moved the wrong way, with Ran's words sinking deeper in his mind. Lord Reiley – or Tatsumi – was in a worse predicament than he was now. That realization prompted him to ask Ran, or should he say Anthony, "The Count…. Where is he?"

"Lord Reiley is in his room resting, Doctor. He had a nasty wound at the back of his head. He is also running a fever and is still unconscious the last time that I have checked. I had to stitch him up since you were also unconscious," was Ran's reply. His sights followed Watari's movements as the blonde scientist got up from bed and left the room, the younger man worried since Watari's steps were wobbly. He ran after Watari and then blocked the door.

"Out of my way, Ran," was Watari's even-toned yet intent-filled words. He could tell from Ran's eyes that the latter noted as to irked he was at this point.

Ran's eyes had this apologetic and pleading look as he explained, "Please, Doctor. You just woke up after three days' worth of unconsciousness. I do not want you to have a relapse."

"I'm fine!"

And Ran deadpanned, "You are _not_ fine, Doctor. My name is Anthony, yet since you have woken up you kept calling me Ran. _Please_, Doctor…."

Giving Ran a dubious and probing stare, Watari then froze upon the realization that Ran was not kidding around. He found out that Ran truly knew him as Doctor Wilkins, had unequivocally accepted this make-believe world as reality, and had forgotten his life and memories as a software engineer for Kowabara's company. He then calmed down a bit, seeing the fear and worry in Ran's eyes. In a low tone that acknowledged that he was not exasperated and that he was considering Ran's advice, he told the younger man, "I want to see Lord Reiley. Once I see him, I'll rest. I promise."

Watari's eyes reflected as to how his heart sank at the pit of his stomach once he saw Ran's reaction while Ran sadly told him, "Lord Reiley's not well. He has been suffering the throes of a high-grade fever. He has been delirious since we found you and him unconscious days ago. He's been muttering the word_ Yutaka_ over and over again."

"Take me to him, Anthony. Please…."

A tightlipped Ran uneasily complied with Watari's request, the young man in fear of Watari's well-being, but with the condition, "Only if you take my arm and let me escort you there, Doctor."

Watari then took Ran's arm, allowing Ran to escort him to where Lord Reiley – or Tatsumi – now rested.

The scientist was amazed with the size and grandeur of the house that they were now in, but he held back his awe since he did not want to alarm Ran any further. His heart raced for every minute that he had not seen Tatsumi, and he repeatedly thought, _"Seii, you __better__ be all right. We still have an argument to finish…to kiss and make up for…"_

Watari's heart skipped a beat and it clenched as Ran's steps stopped at two heavy oak doors. He nearly bit his lip when Ran said before opening the door, "Here we are, Doctor. Just do not be too alarmed. After all, Lord Reiley is not faring out very well."

Ran opened the door leading to an elegantly decorated room befitting an English nobleman, not knowing as to how anxious Watari was as he did so.

And there was Tatsumi in a large Victorian gothic four-poster canopy bed, donned in a now-sweat-soaked linen sleeping gown. His eyes were closed, his face was flushed, and his body quivered from the fever. Ran had just changed his sleeping gown less than two hours ago, but he continued to sweat as the fever raged on.

The scientist's heart sank deeper into the pit of his stomach once he sat by his lover's bedside. He thought as he checked Tatsumi's pulse, _"A little weak. He's just overcoming the flu. He had a relapse…."_

Ran watched Watari make Tatsumi as comfortable as possible. He saw how Watari changed Tatsumi's sleeping gown, giving the secretary a sponge bath which consisted of rubbing alcohol mixed in hot water. He watched Watari help as much as he could so that Tatsumi – who he knew as Lord Reiley – would be able to rest more comfortably as soon as possible.

When Watari was done taking care of Tatsumi's immediate needs, he told Ran, "I'll watch over Lord Reiley, Anthony. I'll call for you if I need any help. For now, please rest."

"Very well, Doctor. I will just light up this extra lamp for both of you before I leave," was Ran's answer, not debating or arguing over the fact that Watari also needed rest. He knew that Watari – who he knew by the name of Doctor John Wilkins – was a steadfastly insistent man. After he lit up the lamp using a match and cleaned up once he was done with his task, he left quietly after bidding Watari good night.

Once Watari had been left alone with Tatsumi, his mind worked on overdrive as to what was actually going on.

Tatsumi stirred a bit, still in the throes of delirium. He kept mumbling the name Yutaka, which made Watari's heart ache.

As a response, Watari affectionately tightened his hold on Tatsumi's limp hand. It ached him even more that Tatsumi could not response in kind just as the latter would usually do. He missed Tatsumi…the touches…the kisses…and who could forget the lovemaking…?

"Hell, I miss us arguing too," whispered Watari near Tatsumi's as a soft rueful smile escaped from his lips. He swept away the unruly strands of brown hair covering Tatsumi's eyes, remembering how the two of them became intimately close to each other for a little over a month now.

Still not feeling well, Watari rubbed his forehead as his headache began to pound more painfully. He then glanced at a sleeping and delirious Tatsumi, with him murmuring, _"A relapse from your flu…. Just our luck for this stupid demon to do this while we're in the middle of an argument…. Get well quickly, Seii. I don't know how much time we have left. We have to beat this demon's game before this game __and__ the demon beats us."_

The following day, Watari stirred as he felt movement on the bed that he shared with a sick Tatsumi. He sat up as he saw Tatsumi struggling to sit up. He got up and helped the secretary.

Watari heard Tatsumi murmur, "Thank you, but I can do it on my own."

Tatsumi's comment prompted Watari to ask the question, "Do you remember me?"

The secretary stopped for a minute as he gave the blonde scientist a bewildered look. "What type of question is that, and what is this weird place, anyway? Of course I remember you. Last thing that I remember was you not talking to me at the ship, being jealous over one of our suspects."

"So you _do_ remember me… Thank goodness," said Watari, his honey-colored eyes lighting up just before he let out a relieved sigh. He was so relieved that he did not notice Tatsumi's subtle mention of Kowabara and his jealousy against the older man.

"What's been going on, Yutaka? Where are –?"

Tatsumi then stopped and blinked a bit, glancing at the door as he heard heavy and intent footsteps heading towards his door followed by the pleas, "Uncle, please! Lord Reiley is resting! You cannot just traipse in there! Uncle!"

Watari stood up beside Tatsumi as they heard semi-familiar voices.

Tatsumi asked, "Is that Ran's voice?"

Before Watari could answer Tatsumi's question, the door opened with Ran blocking a group of men's way – the group being spearheaded by….

"_Kowabara-san?"_ mentally asked Tatsumi as his eyes went wide while Watari did pretty much an inward version of his reaction.

Kowabara pretty much got flustered as he realized that Tatsumi – or Lord Reiley – was merely donning a sheer linen sleeping gown. He said repeatedly, "I am sorry, Lord Reiley. We just needed to speak with you. You know how Scotland Yard placed _The Gouger_ matter high on the priority list."

"Please let Lord Reiley get at least half decent first. We will go downstairs to speak with you, just give us some space and privacy," said Watari in a stern voice as he rested a firm grip on Tatsumi's arm – a cue for Tatsumi to leave the speaking up to him. Blood rushed to his ears, feeling peeved.

"Yes, yes…" was Kowabara's stammered reply as he and his men quickly went about-face and went out of the room while being sent out by Ran.

But before Ran closed the door to give Tatsumi and Watari some privacy, Watari said, "Anthony, let them wait downstairs. We need you here for a minute."

Ran closed the door behind him, his gaze resting on Tatsumi and Watari. He received a big shock when Tatsumi asked, "Who was that who barged in the door?"

"The one who apologized to you is my Uncle, Lord Reiley. The rest who accompanied him are his men from Scotland Yard. Once again, I am so sorry for his antics. I told him time and time again not to just barge in. He may seem to be uncouth at times, but he is a good-hearted man. He is just very passionate with his work. "

Tatsumi closed his eyes, trying to muster as much energy as he could in his weakened state. "What is his name?"

"He is Stanley Crowder, my lord. He is a chief inspector at Scotland Yard. I do not know all the names of the ones who accompanied him, but your family has known my family very well for many years. You and my uncle also have this sort of love-hate relationship."

"Oh, really?" mumbled Watari with a frown on his face, feeling his blood boil a bit as he watched Tatsumi's reaction to Ran's explanation.

Much to Watari's displeasure, Tatsumi took a subtle swallow before asking Ran, "What do you mean by that?'

Ran's eyes narrowed a bit, unable to place exactly what was going on with his two companions. Nonetheless, he answered as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, let me see… He tells you at times not to meddle, you and the doctor do your investigation, you two include my begrudging uncle in the middle of the investigation, you and the doctor solve the case, and then you and he are tightlipped about it as the case closes. You have also been gracious all these years about letting my uncle have the credit for solving most if not all of the cases that you and Doctor Wilkins have personally solved," was Ran's reply, his gaze switching its resting place from Tatsumi and then Watari.

Watari had a tightlipped smile on his face as he asked, "You must be thinking that this is weird, the two of us asking you for names and details that we should know... Am I right, Anthony?"

"Y-yes…" was Ran's admission, his gaze diverting a bit from the two men before him. He did not know what to say at first. He did his best to gather his thoughts as his stare rested on the floor. He then looked at the two men, deeming it best to look at them straight in the eye and say, "My lord… Doctor Wilkins…. You two are scaring me right now. You have been calling me a different name since you two have awoken. You do not know Uncle's name when he barges into your door and pesters this household almost every day for many years. You two do not seem to know where you are. I am worried and scared for both of you."

Tatsumi could see the fear in Ran's eyes, and so he said, "Anthony, once your uncle leaves, I promise you that Doctor Wilkins and I will provide you with an explanation to everything. For now, we really need your assistance. When someone walks in the door or whenever we encounter someone, please fill us in as to who he or she is. It will also help if you tell us a little bit about that person."

"Are you two suffering from amnesia?"

Watari then answered, "Yes, and no. But for now, can Lord Reiley and I depend on you for that help?"

Ran nodded. He was not certain as to what was going on with Watari and Tatsumi, but he would certainly not abandon them in their time of need. He then remembered that Kowabara and the others were waiting downstairs. "What should I tell them?"

Without hesitation, a still very weak Tatsumi requested, "Please tell them that Doctor Wilkins and I will be down shortly. Just help us out by making our lack of recollection as inconspicuous as possible. Fill us in on as much information as you can without making it look obvious. The last adventure that the good doctor and I were involved in – whatever it was – didn't bode well as much as we had hoped for. We'd like to talk to you about it once our guests leave."

"Yes, my lord. I will tell Uncle and the others that you and the doctor will be joining them downstairs."

With a faint smile, Tatsumi said, "Thank you, Anthony. We really appreciate your help."

Tatsumi and Watari could tell that Ran was rather perturbed as he left the room and gave them their privacy. Once they felt that Ran could not hear them, Watari asked Tatsumi, "Seii, you have a relapse. Are you sure that you're up for this?"

After letting out a soft sigh, Tatsumi rested his body against the bed. "We have no choice. This demon trapped us in this world. We have to get out of here before the situation worsens."

Watari frowned. "I agree. So, why don't we talk about the facts that we do know while I get you a lounging robe? I'll borrow this other one so that we could go downstairs and get this all over with. We need to meet with our guests downstairs and get them out of here so that we could get to work."

Tatsumi extended his arm, reaching out for the robe that Watari had offered him to wear. After mumbling his thanks, he carefully rose from the bed that he sat in and wore his robe. He could tell that he did not have his full sense of balance, so he leaned against one of the bedposts.

The secretary nearly lost his balance when he tried to lift his left arm, feeling more lightheaded than before. Luckily, he felt Watari grip his right arm. He closed his eyes, trying to regain some equilibrium to stop the room from spinning.

"Didn't I tell you to take it easy, Seii? Why do you never listen?" admonished Watari as he helped Tatsumi sit down on the bed. From there, he helped Tatsumi with the robe and once Tatsumi looked presentable enough he looked into Tatsumi's watery eyes. "Just hold my arm and we'll go downstairs. We still have a case to solve here. If you feel too sick at any point in time, just say the word and I'll get you out of there."

"So let us just sort through our facts before we go downstairs," said Tatsumi while he tightened his hold on Watari's hand, doing so not just as expression gratitude but also as a gesture of affection.

After the two briefly talked while Tatsumi gathered some strength, the laundry list of facts boiled down to the following…

There was Kowabara Kenji, the major suspect, whose enemies end up dead with their eyes missing from their sockets…the man who had been fancying Tatsumi much to Watari's jealousy.

There was Miyazawa Ran, the young, mysterious, and handsome software engineer who had been fawning over Watari much to Tatsumi's jealousy…the Shokan Division suspecting that he would be the next target.

There was the business of the missing souls – all of those souls belonging to Kowabara's enemies. What was the significance of their souls as well as their eyes missing from their corpses?

And then who could forget the mysterious and malevolent demon who added one more to the list of victims – the one who brought all of them into this illusionary world of Ran's imagination? The demon could have chosen any illusion to entrap them in, but why Ran's world out of all possibilities?

Once the set of facts were established, the two made eye contact and agreed that it was now time to go downstairs and gather more facts from their guests waiting downstairs.

Although Tatsumi did not feel comfortable needing any assistance to walk or descend the stairs, he acknowledged that it was a necessary evil that he had to relent to as he held on to Watari's arm.

The guests, led by Kowabara, all held their hats near their chest and gave a subtle nod of respect towards Tatsumi. Kowabara spoke for the entire group when he said, "I apologize for the intrusion, Lord Reiley, but there has been another victim."

"Should we go to the parlor, Lord Reiley…Doctor Watkins?" Ran proposed in a form disguised as a question, the visitors and even his uncle not noticing the intentions behind Ran's words.

"Yes, that'll be most comfortable for Lord Reiley," said Watari as he gave Ran a sideways glance and a soft, grateful smile.

Tatsumi felt the pangs of jealousy when he saw Watari smile at Ran, but he noticed that exerting any emotions also sapped out his strength so he sighed out his frustration.

Everyone walked towards the parlor, with Ran leading the way by just a few feet. He then opened the door to receive everyone.

"All right, Inspector Crowder, tell me about this latest victim and compare this victim to all the others that we have discussed and have not discussed," said Tatsumi as Ran helped Watari, guiding the two men to have Tatsumi sit in the usual chair that Lord Reiley loved to sit in whenever he was in the mood for solitude or receiving guests.

Kowabara – known in this world as Inspector Crowder – was caught off-guard and nearly stammered the words, "I beg your pardon, Lord Reiley?"

With a calm yet firm tone, Tatsumi said as he gave Kowabara a piercing gaze with those now-watery blue eyes, "You heard what I said, Inspector Crowder. Tell us everything about this case from start to finish or you are not getting the usual assistance that we provide here."

"This aristocratic blowhard must be kidding," spat one of Kowabara's men, the low-ranking man from Scotland Yard seemingly shrinking as his superior Kowabara viciously glared at him for the remark.

"I _do not_ kid around," Tatsumi countered, the sharpness of his earlier glare now ever-increasing.

"Forgive him for his rudeness, Lord Reiley. Anthony, my boy, would you be so kind as to escort the men out of this room? I would like to have a private audience with Lord Reiley and Doctor Watkins regarding this case." Kowabara then glared at the man who erred earlier, making the latter feel more embarrassed and nerve-wracked as he added, "It would also ensure that there would be no more _unnecessary_ interruptions."

Ran gave a subtle nod of agreement and then did as his uncle had requested, inwardly wanting to kick the erring man's rear for being so blatantly disrespectful towards his master, Lord Reiley.

As the door now closed behind them, Kowabara shared what he thought he had shared before to the two shinigami. He showed the pictures of the victims, explained the details regarding each victim – such as location of the body, time of death, and other pertinent data. He then disclosed the details regarding the last victim – the one who died at the party before they all were transported and trapped in this world.

Since Tatsumi and Watari recognized that these victims were the some of the ones from their current case from the Shokan Division, Watari cleared his throat a bit which prompted Tatsumi to say, "I was serious about what I have said earlier before your men, Inspector Crowder. If you do not tell me _everything _about this case, all help from here on out is cut off."

Kowabara blinked. "I still do not know what you mean, Lord Reiley. I have been most candid with you about this matter."

A wry smirk escaped from Tatsumi's lips before he shook his head. A few seconds later, he said, "You are not candid enough, Inspector. These are not_ all _of the victims. You are insulting the good doctor's and my intelligence with your _careful omissions_."

With eyes going wide from shock, Kowabara's jaw hung open for a while before he managed to say, "How….? How did….?"

Tatsumi leaned forward and interjected, "How did I know? It is simple. I can tell it from the look in your eyes and how you pull your documents from that envelope. A thoroughly candid person would have no hesitation in emptying the envelope, spreading the documents, and sharing the information at the shared table between us. Aside from that, you have been very nervous since I posed the threat of not helping you solve this case. Your body betrays you so easily. We have had this discussion many times before, yet you still feel the urge to do it. You should know by now that trying to deceive me does not _and will not_ get you anywhere."

Feeling cornered and utterly stupid for getting caught yet again, Kowabara laid out all the contents from his brown manila envelope and showed everything to Tatsumi and Watari – the pictures and data from the remaining victims, news clippings, other documented evidence found in the scene of the crime.

Watari frowned as he listened to Kowabara, thinking, _"Everything is so primitive. I'm sure that Seii and I could do a better job than they can. This forensic evidence is a joke, and it takes __that__ long to get it done? Oh, I keep forgetting…Victorian era. To them, Scotland Yard's methods which we now see before is state-of-the-art. And Seii's playing his part perfectly. Well, when I think about it, this isn't much of a deviation from who he normally is. He gave his personality just the right noble flair, and Kowabara here took it hook, line, and sinker. That'll buy us enough time."_

An hour and a half had more than passed for their meeting, with Kowabara doing most of the talking and Tatsumi asking questions here and there which led to more information being shed with more clarity. Before the meeting wrapped up, Kowabara said, "I have told you everything that I know, Lord Reiley. Please help us with this _Gouger_ case. The public is in a state of panic because of it."

After taking in a deep breath and feeling the exhaustion settle on him once again, Tatsumi looked at Kowabara and replied in an even tone as he crossed his right leg over his left, "Doctor Wilkins and I will help you, Inspector Crowder. For now, you are forgiven for your earlier exercise of poor judgment. Do it again, and I will make good on my threat."

"Very well, then. I will share everything to you once more information is passed on to me. Get well soon, Lord Reiley," said Kowabara as he rose from his chair and extended a hand, leaning forward a bit so that Tatsumi did not have to get up in case the latter decided to accept his handshake.

Tatsumi shook hands with Kowabara, which made Watari rather miffed and wary but he nonetheless let it go. He just wanted Kowabara out of the room not only because of his jealousy but also because he saw that Tatsumi was getting too tired.

Before he exited out of the parlor, Kowabara looked behind and gave Tatsumi another meaningful glance – the same one that made Watari irked on the ship when he first met Kowabara.

When Anthony closed the door behind them to give them privacy, Watari told Tatsumi, "_Unbelievable. _That man still wants to get into your pants even in this world. And you better not tell me that Ran's doing the same."

With his left hand, Tatsumi then took a quill pen which sat on the table where the evidence now lay as well as parchment paper. He then wrote notes on the paper and then once done with his task, he rested his back against the chair and closed his eyes a bit. He took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose when he mumbled, "I am so sorry, John. I am not paying attention…."

A startled Watari stopped for a minute and reassessed what he just heard and saw from Tatsumi. He then asked, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch what you just said and _what name_ did you just call me?"

The secretary let out a sigh and then put his glasses back on. He gave Watari a puzzled look. "I didn't say anything, Yutaka. I hate to do it, but I'm going to listen to what you said. I just became very tired from that meeting. I'd like to talk about the case while we look though these documents that Kowabara had left behind for us."

Watari observed Tatsumi's every movement and listened to every word that the secretary had just uttered. Something did not settle well with him. There was something in the way that Tatsumi's eyes gleamed that made him uncomfortable. For now, all that he could think of as his heart and mind raced for a quick solution and a sure exit out of this game world_, "I know that Seii could easily use two adding machines or ten-key calculators at the same time – one for the right and another for the left hand…but since when did Seii ever write with his left hand?"_

Then a fact hit Watari hard, his honey-colored eyes now resting on Tatsumi. _"The flu... He has the flu, so his resistance is substantially down. He doesn't have the usual resistance to such things, so he's the same as the rest of them...well, almost."_

Tatsumi sounded really sapped out of strength when he said, "May we stay here for a while, Yutaka? I don't think that I have enough strength in my legs to climb those stairs right now. Just for thirty minutes...?" He was so tired that he was not able to wait for Watari's reply.

As Watari watched Tatsumi close his eyes, letting Tatsumi take a short nap in the chair where the latter now sat, he continued his train of thought by saying to himself,_ "Seii…. This isn't good…. This isn't good at all… Don't slip away from me…."_

**End of Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to PJ Zatken. _


	16. Continuation

**YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS**

**THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?**

**Chapter Sixteen – Continuation**

* * *

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, Seii?"

Tatsumi glanced sideways, smiling softly at Watari, "I will be all right, Yutaka. We need to roam around, find out more about our surroundings, gather up clues, and find our way back home. We can not possibly do anything along those lines if we stay at home."

Watari let out a grumbled sigh. "You're sick – again. I can't let that happen to –"

Tatsumi blinked for a minute, a frown creasing his forehead. "Not let _what _happen?"

It took a while before Watari replied, "Have you lose your memory and lose you to this imaginary world."

"I do not understand what you are trying to say," said Tatsumi, his azure eyes keenly focused on Watari.

Watari stopped walking, prompting Tatsumi to stop walking as well. He was about to open up his mouth until an elderly man greeted Tatsumi, "Good morning, Lord Reiley, Doctor Wilkins…."

"Good morning to you, too, Sir," said Tatsumi with a polite smile while Watari's response was a genial nod.

Once the pleasantries were done, Tatsumi asked Watari, "I beg your pardon, but where were we?"

Without hesitation, Watari said, "You're sick, Seii. Because you don't have the resistance, I'm slowly but surely losing you here."

When Tatsumi was shaking his head, looking as if he still could not get what Watari was telling him, Watari asked point-blank, "Where are your eyeglasses?"

"I am wearing them, just as I always do," said Tatsumi with an amused yet nonchalant tone. "I would not be able to see or focus on anything without them, and my eyesight has never been better. So, I am wearing my glasses right now."

"This entire morning, this whole conversation, is _exactly_ my point," said a grim-looking Watari. "Take off your glasses right now."

Tatsumi, having other things in his mind which pertained to the case, replied in a tone laced with impatience, "Yutaka, we do not have time for –"

Watari's eyes narrowed, reiterating to Tatsumi, "I said take off your glasses."

Before Tatsumi opened up his mouth to protest, Watari deadpanned, "Damn it, Seii! Just humor me and take off your fucking glasses - _now!"_

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed as well, looking at Watari with such dangerous distaste as he lifted his left hand to take off his eyeglasses. "You have been such a disgruntled chap lately! Why are you so bloody fixated over a pair of glass-"

Watari purposefully gave a moment of pause to allow Tatsumi to realize a very important fact. He watched the great secretary of the Shokan Division pat over his temple in search for something that was normally there. He then told Tatsumi, "Can't find it, can you?"

When Tatsumi was lost for words because he could not understand what Watari was trying to tell him, Watari explained, "You haven't been wearing your glasses, pince-nez, monocles, or anything to help you with your vision since late last night."

"I just forgot it. Simple as that," was Tatsumi's reply, his voice sounding dismissive to hide his shock.

Watari's eyes flashed dangerously as he drove the point home by blurting out, "Read my lips, Tatsumi Seiichiro – you _don't_ need glasses because you're physically, mentally, and emotionally changing into this Lord Reiley character!"

"That is preposterous!" spat out Tatsumi, who then added, "This ridiculous notion of yours needs to stop now!"

"No – I'm not allowing you one bit to 'lord' over me like this!" said a frustrated Watari as he flung a hand before Tatsumi here and there. "You're even talking differently right now! You're stuffy-sounding as usual, but never with that infernal Victorian England flair until now! Get your head out of your ass and realize what the hell's going on with you!"

"What did you just say to me? Did you just call me _stuffy-sounding_?" asked Tatsumi through gritted teeth, his transfixed gaze at Watari looking feral while his shadows began to lap around his feet as if they were flames being fanned by his anger towards Watari.

An equally-livid Watari spat, "What part did you miss, Seii? Did you just miss the part where I told you to get your head out of your ass? What about the part that you need to realize what the hell's going on with you? Would you like for me to say 'bloody ass' or 'bloody hell' with the English flair so that you get my fucking point, Seii – or should I call you the great Lord Reiley? If you don't keep a firm grip of who you really are, we'll be trapped here forever!"

When Tatsumi stopped, his eyes remained focused on Watari yet the latter could see that Tatsumi began to calm down. The shadows also did the same, dispelling back into the street cracks while the rest allowed the daylight to quietly overcome them. He was still angry towards Watari but there was a part of him that acknowledged the truth behind Watari's words.

"Seii, we've been playing this detective-and-doctor mystery game for two entire days now and we're not getting anywhere," said Watari, the scientist's voice sounding much calmer than earlier now that he had Tatsumi's undivided attention. "I'm doing my best to stave off your fever through medication but you're still slipping away from me here and there. Your lapses in memory are still there. You're still having these weird moments that you're forgetting that we're shinigami and not these two glorified, overdressed characters. We have to beat this demon. It's our only way out of here. If we don't, he either traps us here forever or destroys us."

Tatsumi let out a burdened sigh and then proposed, "Let us just continue our stroll back to the manor, Yutaka. We will continue talking. Once we get there, we need to see what we have gathered so far and then go from there."

A much-calmer Watari closed his eyes and then nodded, with him leading the way back to the house. "We might as well do that because you look awfully sick right now."

Watari even became more tightlipped and worried as Tatsumi admitted, "I hate to agree with you, but you are right. I am sorry that this is so hard on you right now. I did tell you not to worry about me."

"I can't just stop worrying about you, Seii," was Watari's reply, a frown momentarily creasing his forehead and his tone laced with some form of chastisement.

Tatsumi tried to soothe Watari's wounded ego and feelings. He told the scientist as best and as gently as he could, "I do not mean anything by it, Yutaka. But you and I need to focus on the task at hand if we want to solve this mystery, most especially you since your faculties are not affected. I hate being in this predicament."

"I know," said Watari after letting out a sigh and burying his gloved hands deeper into his coat pockets. He could not help but be reminded of what was going on with Tatsumi as he watched the secretary unknowingly adopt more of what it seemed to be Count Radcliff Reiley's mannerisms.

The two lovers were quiet for a while as they took time in their stroll towards Reiley Manor.

After a while, though, Tatsumi broke the silence by thinking out loud, "How I wish that we have JuOhCho's resources available at our disposal. We would have a better time identifying the demon responsible for all this havoc if that is the case."

"Well, we have to think as to which demons bear a grudge against the Shokan Division."

"That could be anyone, then," was Tatsumi's reply.

Tatsumi stopped for a little while, trying to catch his breath but doing it as inconspicuously as he could so that Watari would not worry so much about him. He did so by pretending to see something that was interesting at a jeweler's storefront display window. He specifically focused on a pair of gold bands with a diamond in the middle of each band as well as another pair of matching white gold Claddagh rings.

Watari stood beside Tatsumi, asking Tatsumi in a semi-joking tone, "You must be that feverish, if you're even entertaining thoughts of buying that or owning one of those rings let alone both of them. What would be outrageous is if you buy all four rings."

Tatsumi glanced at Watari and chuckled. He had a soft smile in his face as his eyes scanned the rest of the store display. "My curiosity got piqued, that is all. Come on…."

Watari said to Tatsumi with a smile, his honey-colored eyes having this inviting look. "Not that fast, Seii. I saw that smile on your face when you were looking through the rings. What's in your mind right now?"

With a coy, pursed-lipped smile, Tatsumi's innocent-sounding reply was, "Nothing."

"That smile of yours doesn't say the same thing," said Watari with a chuckle. "What gives?"

Tatsumi maintained the warm smile when he replied, "As I said earlier, it is nothing. Believe me."

"Yeah, right," said Watari after he let out a quiet sigh. "Now why don't we grab a quick bite to eat? I'm getting hungry."

Tatsumi gazed at Watari, all while he fixed his left glove. "All right…. We will talk about the case while we –"

Watari and Tatsumi stopped as the frantic sounds of a bobby's whistle filled the busy street and caught everyone's attention.

The two lovers exchanged glances and as a reaffirmation of their mutual decision, Tatsumi said to Watari, "Lunch can wait. Let us go see what help we could offer, shall we?"

Watari nodded, noticing that they stood at a street corner which served as a distinct separation between the affluent parts of the neighborhood from its seedy counterpart. To their right were establishments which catered to society's upper class. To the left was a trickle of establishments which tried to keep up with the more affluent stores but to no avail.

As one walked farther down, one would notice that there was more foot traffic there – the ambiance much more chaotic as peddlers catering to the lower class tried to sell their respective merchandise. Prostitutes walked down the street, eyeing at any man that they think would be a good client for the hour.

The wide cobble-paved street which Tatsumi and Watari now stood separated the good part of the neighborhood from the bad.

"Yutaka, are you ready?" asked Tatsumi with a soft smile.

"Yes, yes… Sorry. I got distracted," was Watari's apologetic reply.

Tatsumi motioned Watari to walk across the street, which would have them trespassing to a more unfriendly part of town. "I know what you are thinking. Such a huge discrepancy between the rich and the poor…"

Watari dug his hands deep in his pocket. "It's like this in Chijou. Some things never change. But we're not the only ones who dare trespass into these areas."

"If you are talking about the scandals, you are right. But as you know, the upper crust has its own mechanism in hiding its ills. For now, we are part of that group yet also separate."

Watari and Tatsumi greeted the bobby once they finished crossing the street.

Minutes later after being briefed, the bobby escorted Tatsumi and Watari at a secluded and dead-end alleyway. Before the three men was a face-down, bloodied body of a middle-aged man who lay in a pool of his own blood.

The bobby, sounding as respectful as he could, told Tatsumi, "Lord Reiley, Sir…try to leave as much of the scene untouched at least until Chief Inspector Crowder and the blokes from the Yard arrive."

"All right," said Tatsumi with a genial smile. "I do not wish to get you in trouble."

"Thank you kindly, Sir," said the bobby with a nervous look on his face along with a polite and genuine smile to match. "You know how Crowder could be sometimes."

"I thank you, too," was Tatsumi's reply as he removed his sight from the body that he was inspecting and focused it on the bobby. "Welch is your name, is it not? Constable Welch?"

Watari's eyes narrowed a bit, caught off-guard with Tatsumi's question to the bobby.

Blinking a bit yet still giving Tatsumi a friendly smile, the bobby said, "Yes, Lord Reiley. That is my name. You see me every now and then on crime scenes such as this."

Tatsumi gave the man a respectful nod and then refocused his gaze on the body before him. His tone was friendly when he told the bobby, "I remember, Constable. Since we have been acquainted much earlier than today, would you kindly drop the formality?"

Glancing at the bobby, Watari saw the bobby get embarrassed a bit as the latter replied to Tatsumi, "Yes, Sir. I remember your previous requests. I just could not help it at times. I mean no offense."

"None taken, old chap. I just feel that formalities should be dropped when we are surrounded by familiar company. You do remember my friend, Doctor John Wilkins?" said Tatsumi, his voice taking an even more amicable tone as his eyes scanned the body. As he did so, he complied with the constable's request in not touching the body.

Constable Welch smiled and nodded as he glanced at Watari. He respectfully held the tip of his bobby helmet for a minute as a gesture of acknowledgement towards Watari. "I most certainly do, Sir. You two gentlemen are mostly inseparable."

Watari genially smiled at the constable, his current feelings mixed at this time. On a good note, he felt that Tatsumi and he were blending well with their surroundings which would probably bring them a step closer towards identifying the demon who trapped them in this imaginary world, solving the mystery, and returning to the normal world. His worry for Tatsumi, however, grew as he felt that Tatsumi was unknowingly getting too immersed in his role. To him, Tatsumi still looked weak and feverish. He noticed that the Shokan Division secretary slipped into this imaginary role far too intimately during closer bouts with the flu that he still had. He chose to keep his silence for now as he watched Tatsumi at work, part of him unable to figure out as to how much could be found out by examining a body without touching anything on the body or around it.

Tatsumi then rose from his crouched position, his eyes scanning the cobblestone pavement. He took small steps as he continued scanning the ground, moving towards the 15-foot wall which sealed the alleyway from other traffic.

Something on the 15-foot wall had caught Tatsumi's attention, and so he made a mental note to examine it more closely once he got there.

Watari followed Tatsumi's cautious and deliberate small steps, trying to follow Tatsumi's tracks and train of thought to no avail. He quietly asked Tatsumi in a near-whisper, "Seii, what are you looking for?"

"I am not there yet, Yutaka," said Tatsumi, his voice low and soft as well so that only Watari could hear his reply. He momentarily stopped moving as he quickly scanned the 15-foot wall before him, telling Watari once the latter stood beside him. "After the crime scene has been examined by the constabulary and Scotland Yard, we will pay a visit here later on tonight. We will bring some tools."

"All right," was all that Watari could manage as a response. He was still trying to figure out as to what on that 15-foot wall had caught Tatsumi's attention. There was nothing special about the wall, which had been studded with graffiti, dirt, and other trappings which were so familiar to seedy neighborhoods such as this one. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, finally giving up from wracking his mind. He instead concentrated on observing Tatsumi and keeping his mind open for his own set of observations.

After letting out a sigh, Tatsumi's sight focused on the ten-foot walls to their right and left. He gave it the same amount of time and level of attention as the rest of the things before him.

Constable Welch, who stood and watched Tatsumi and Watari work, glanced behind him as more of his colleagues joined him. He excused himself from Tatsumi and Watari, turned around, walked towards his fellow constables, and was told by the other constables that Chief Inspector Crowder would join them very soon.

As Tatsumi and Watari continued their examination of the scene, they could overhear Constable Welch brief his fellow officers about how he discovered the victim.

Tatsumi's careful small steps led him back to the body. He crouched again nearby the victim's head, taking advantage of the fact that the constables were too preoccupied to notice them as well as the fact that Watari was innocently standing beside him and providing him with some cover.

Watari blinked, his curiosity rising as he watched Tatsumi remove the glove from his left hand, take out a silk handkerchief from his coat pocket, scooped something with his handkerchief, fold it neatly to secure whatever was in it, and placed the handkerchief back in his pocket.

"I'm assuming that we're keeping that gooey thing in your pocket a secret?" Watari casually asked.

"Of course…" Tatsumi then rose and said as he noticed the additional commotion at the alleyway's entrance, "Chief Inspector Crowder is here. Let us see how we can assist, shall we?"

A handful of hours had passed with Tatsumi and Watari assisting Crowder and his men in gathering evidence.

Watari, however, wondered on why Tatsumi did not lead the others to examine the wall and instead kept his silence as he watched Tatsumi focus on other things. From time to time, he glanced at the Shokan Division secretary and observed on how the other worked. He took note that the person before him – Tatsumi Seiichiro to him and Count Radcliff Reiley to the rest – had a set of mannerisms that were a fusion of the old Tatsumi and the person that he was portraying. Watching his companion at work made his heart unexplainably race and his curiosity piqued as the minutes passed.

After a while, Watari let out a sigh. Producing a pocket watch, he looked at the time. He secured the evidence that he gathered, turned it in with the constable who held a log for evidence, and then waited for Tatsumi to finish his conversation with Crowder.

Finally, Tatsumi joined Watari and said, "So shall we go to a late lunch…early dinner, perhaps?"

Watari let out a tired sigh. "I thought that you'd never ask. I'm hungry. You need to take the next round of medication to help stave off that flu of yours. The last thing that we need is a full relapse."

Tatsumi was quiet as the two crossed the street and returned to the affluent, more peaceful part of town. Leading the way, he went inside a high-end restaurant and told the maître d' – a well-dressed handsome elderly English gentleman with salt and pepper hair, "Table for two, please."

"Certainly, Lord Reiley…Doctor Wilkins… Your favorite table is available. Let me secure your coats and then escort you to your seats," said the maître d' with a warm smile, eventually leading Tatsumi and Watari towards one of the corners of the restaurant after hanging the coats.

A young and handsome waiter dressed in a tuxedo greeted the two men, gave the maître d' a nod as the latter left, handed Tatsumi and Watari a menu after he helped the two into their seats, mentioned the restaurant specials for the day, and then gave the two time to decide on their orders as he went about in filling drink orders.

Watari looked around and said, "This is a good spot. Pretty expensive place, too…. Look at the entrees, although the prices are reflective of the times."

"Things were not that expensive during the Victorian era," mumbled Tatsumi, taking a sigh and relaxing at the place where they now sat. He figured that anyone would like this corner spot, which afforded patrons with a great view as well as privacy for conversations.

Watari asked in a near-whisper, "What's in that handkerchief of yours, Seii? And what were you seeing out there?"

Tatsumi did not respond, his eyes scanning the surroundings and taking a mental note of his observations.

Watari sighed and asked again, "Seii…? Are you all right?"

After blinking, Tatsumi replied while absentmindedly rubbing his forehead, "Yes, I am all right. Just tired…."

"Once you're halfway done with your meal, take some medicine. It would help," said Watari after he presented two pills and transferred it to Tatsumi's hand. The blonde scientist still felt weird as Tatsumi offered his left hand – not his customary right hand – in accepting the pills.

The waiter then arrived with their drinks and once he left, Watari asked again, "What's in the handkerchief, Seii?"

"Specimen that we could look at under the microscope…hair and other unmentionable things that do not belong to the victim…." Tatsumi then glanced at Watari, telling the other, "We have to go back there tonight. We are not done yet in collecting evidence."

"Why didn't we collect it while we were there?"

"I need a solution to bring out the clue."

Watari frowned. "A solution…?"

"_Chemical _solution," was Tatsumi's offered clarification. "Something is written in that wall, and it'll take some strong base to bring it out since it was rubbed off with acid. The effect will be temporary, but it'll give us enough time to bring out what was hidden."

Watari began feeling weird again as he sensed that Tatsumi was slipping deeper again into Count Radcliff Reiley's persona. "Seii, why don't you take your medicine? You're looking flushed again."

Tatsumi stared at Watari, stunned as he heard Watari tell him, "Seii, you're scaring me. If you don't keep well enough and you get gravely sick again, I'll lose you. I don't want that to happen."

As Tatsumi felt the fever creeping back more strongly into his system as his fatigue-ridden body realized its limits, he told Watari, "Maybe we are going about this the wrong way, Yutaka. Maybe you should let it go."

Watari rubbed his fingers over his forehead. His exhaustion was evident in his voice when he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I think that we will have a better chance in solving this case if you let things happen…stop fighting it…."

It took a while before Watari fully understood what Tatsumi was trying to tell him. He empathically said, "No, that's out of the question. Bad enough that you have episodes where I don't know who I'm with anymore and you're proposing to completely turn into this person."

Tatsumi explained to Watari in a soothing voice, "It is our only chance, Yutaka. I feel that it is inevitability. We might as well use that to our advantages. Who knows? This Count Reiley character might have more gifts that we would not realize and benefit from until I fully become him?"

Watari's eyes reflected the hurt and uncertainty inside him. "What if we can't reverse it?"

"We will reverse it once we solve the case."

"What if we can't, Seii?"

"You are not going to lose me, Yutaka," said Tatsumi with a comforting smile. He reached out to Yutaka's hand and clasped it affectionately. "We are running out of time. This is the only solution that I could think of. I feel that the more that I am walking in Count Reiley's shoes, the more that I have a clearer understanding of everything. You need to stay focused for both of us, Yutaka."

"You're not going to be you anymore once you turn into this Count Reiley, Seii," said Watari in a sad voice.

"I will still be Tatsumi Seiichiro, Yutaka. This is only temporary." Tatsumi took Watari's hand, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it. "I trust you completely. I know that no matter how deep this goes, you will be there to bring me back…to lead me back home. But I need your trust and guidance here. "

Watari stared at Tatsumi for a while. Still said, he said, "What specifically do you have in mind?"

Tatsumi let out a sigh and said, "I will stop taking the medication. You need to let the fever ravage on. Once I completely turn into this character and lose all recollection of Tatsumi Seiichiro then we could truly start uncovering this mystery. I need you to be there to do all the remembering for us. There is something in you that keep you protected from that demon's power. We have to use that to our advantage. You will have to carry on as if you are immersed as Doctor John Wilkins, keep an eye on me and guide me so that we stay on course, and serve as the other half of the solution to this puzzle. If you and I do not keep focused, we will never find our way back home."

Watari was silent for a while, his heart heavy from what he just heard.

"I trust you, Yutaka," said Tatsumi with a reassuring smile, his azure eyes looking glassy from the fatigue and another onset of the flu that his body had been fighting off all this time. "I lay all that I am because I trust you completely. You need to trust me completely, too. It is a dangerous game, but we need to give it our all if we want to survive in the end. I am asking for your forgiveness in advance for any inappropriate action that I do once I become Count Radcliff Reiley."

The blonde scientist gazed into Tatsumi's eyes, giving the Shokan Division secretary a smile. "All right…."

"Then I do not need these now," said Tatsumi as he picked up the two pills that Watari had given him earlier and returned them to Watari. "For good measure, we will bring Ran – or Anthony – with us just in case something happens to me and you need help."

Watari secured the pills back into the original container. He then quietly slipped the container back in his pocket as the waiter arrived with their order. After the waiter had left, he told Tatsumi, "I don't like this plan one bit, Seii. I'm seeing the practicality of it, yet I'm not thrilled with the idea."

"Neither am I, but it is the only way that we can beat this demon in his or her own game," said Tatsumi as he watched Watari take the first bite of food. "It is definitely a leap of faith. We both have to trust each other that everything will turn out fine in the end. No matter how bad it would seem, just do not lose faith in me."

Watari looked grim and let out a sigh. Once he took Tatsumi's words to heart and pushed aside some of his doubts, he replied, "I won't. I promise."

* * *

Hours later, Ran – known as Anthony Crowder in the imaginary world that Tatsumi and Watari were now trapped in – stood by the doorway of Doctor John Wilkin's home office inside Reiley Manor. He waited for Tatsumi and Watari prompt to leave the house.

It was strange for Watari to watch an already-feverish Tatsumi work on chemicals just as he would normally do at the Shokan Division. He felt as if their roles had been reversed. He observed the secretary as the latter played with one chemical after another to form certain mixtures inside a beaker. At times, he could not help but sadly smile as he saw how much Tatsumi was so engrossed over the experiment. He could relate the other's feelings, but at the same time he felt as if Tatsumi Seiichiro was slowly disintegrating into Count Radcliff Reiley – just as if the Shokan Division secretary, his lover, was now a breathing experiment that he had to monitor.

Watari's concentration was broken as he heard Tatsumi triumphantly say, "We are done here. Let us go. Anthony, did you bring a lamp with you?"

"Yes, Sir," said Anthony with an enthusiastic smile.

"Good, then off we go," said Tatsumi, who now glanced at Watari. He took off his goggles and leather gloves. "Anything wrong, John?"

"No… Nothing, Lord Reiley," said Watari, doing his best to smile back at his lover who was now turning into a total stranger before him.

Tatsumi chuckled, "John, would you quit with the formality?"

Watari let a pursed-lipped smile escape from his lips, trying to contain his misgivings over Tatsumi's change. "Then how would you like me to address you as, Lord Reiley?"

After letting out a frustrated sigh, Tatsumi said, "Never mind. Let us leave, Doctor Wilkins." His voice then took on a gentler tone as he addressed Ran by asking, "Anthony, are you ready?"

Ran nodded. "Yes, Sir…."

Watari did not say anything as he walked out of Reiley manor with an evidently-peeved Tatsumi and an excited Ran. He watched as Anthony waved at a nearby cabman.

Soon, the three entered the hansom cab after Tatsumi gave the cabman instructions on where to go. Watari, on the other hand, kept his silence as he tried to gauge exactly what was going on in Tatsumi's…or rather Lord Radcliff Reiley's…heart and mind to have such a negative reaction. He thought as his glance continued to rest on Tatsumi, "I wonder if this Lord Reiley actually hates Doctor John Wilkins. He looked really angry back there, but I didn't say anything hurtful or offensive. I called him Lord Reiley because that's what everyone calls him…although he did seem to hate formalities, depending on who he talked to, like that bobby we encountered earlier today."

Watari let out a quiet sigh and added to his troubled thoughts the words, "I don't want to lose him. At this stage and forward, I can't relate to him…touch him…just as I did when he was still Tatsumi Seiichiro.

The blonde scientist was too immersed in his thoughts to the point that he got startled once an excited Ran told him, "Doctor Wilkins, we are here! Let us go!"

Watari let out a sigh then smiled. "Right…."

"Let us hurry, Doctor," said Ran as he got off, paid the cabman, and waited for Watari to get out of the hansom. Once Watari was out, Ran then instructed the cabman, "Lord Reiley wants to give you this crown, in exchange of waiting for us here until we are done."

After receiving the crown, the happy cabman said with a smile, "Aye, I will wait."

"That, Sir, does not include our fare to and from here," Ran clarified.

"Well, I will be sure to wait, then," said the cabman, being more enthused over the prospect of making a good night's wage in one sitting.

"Thank you, Sir!" Ran yelled as he waved at the cabman with lamp and a leather sack in tow. He ran across the street, trying to get to the end of the alleyway and join Tatsumi as fast as he could.

Watari kept up, running a few feet behind Ran. He stopped once he heard Ran slow down, watching the young man place the leather sack down and light a match for the lamp.

Tatsumi took off his leather glove and wiped his sweat with his handkerchief. "Thank you, Ran. Now I need you to come join me at the end of this alleyway here and hold the lamp a few feet behind me. I need to work on this wall while you provide light from behind."

Ran nodded, happy to help. He then told Watari, "Come on, Doctor! We have to see this."

The blonde scientist followed then stood beside Ran, telling the latter, "Why don't you help the Count with things that he would need and I'll hold up the lamp?"

"No, John," interjected Tatsumi. "Anthony is holding the lamp right now at a perfect angle. I need you to quickly write down what you see once I am done with what I am doing."

"All right," said Watari, still feeling uncomfortably guilty for irking Tatsumi earlier although he still did not have a clue as to what triggered the latter's annoyance. He did as he was told while he watched Tatsumi at work, a small medical prescription pad and a pen ready in his hand.

Tatsumi carefully removed the beaker's seal, dipped the painter's brush that he brought with him, brushed the wet instrument against the wall, watched in satisfaction as he saw the wet wall surface bubble while he continued working. He did not stop until he felt that he covered as much wall as he needed, which was a five-by-five square foot area.

Watari and Ran were at awe as they saw a message appear before them once the chemical reaction was complete, the message looking as if it was written in chalk.

_Lux fugiens non fugerit,  
fenestra ut animae spoliatur lumine.  
Mox tenebris lux surget et evigilare fervore suo.  
Non ante finitum lumen fit quod adversariis._

Before Watari could finish writing the last words of the cryptic message, the message began to disappear again.

Watari told Tatsumi, his voice hinting disappointment and panic, "Could you do that again? I didn't get the last words."

Tatsumi sighed, looking calmer than before. "Here, let me write it down. I remember them."

Watari handed the pen and pad to Tatsumi, watching the secretary take the items with a shaky hand. The light from the lamp and the sweat that Tatsumi now had on his forehead made Tatsumi look gaunt, which made the scientist worry about his lover.

Tatsumi murmured, "You missed the words _'non ante finitum lumen fit quod adversarris,'_ which is more than four words."

Once the message was completely written out, Tatsumi handed back the pen and pad to a still-at-awe Watari. Watari still could not believe as to how Tatsumi had uttered the foreign-tongued message in perfect accent.

Tatsumi stared back at Watari. He took a deep breath, as if he was mustering the last ounce of strength that he could afford when he told Watari, "Take me home, Yutaka. It is already taking a stronger hold. Can not…."

Ran helped Watari in keeping Tatsumi steady after Tatsumi nearly lost his balance. He nodded when Watari instructed him, "Keep him steady. I'll clean up, and then we'll go home."

"Now don't you move, all right? Just rest and don't be stubborn," said Watari to a pale-looking Tatsumi.

Tatsumi absentmindedly nodded, watching Watari secure the beaker, turn off the lamp, and secure the rest of their belonging through tear-filled glassy eyes. All that he did was nod and let Watari and Ran take the lead.

Watari instructed Ran, "We'll all go back to the cab and go home. We're done here. Help me with him."

Ran nodded, the two lifting Tatsumi and supporting him until they reached the hansom cab.

Watari told the cabman, "Please hurry, Sir. Lord Reiley needs rest and medical attention immediately."

"Aye, Sir," said the cabman, who nodded vigorously as Watari had given the man two crowns for their fare plus incentive to safely rush them home.

"Thank you, Sir. May I ask for your name?" asked Watari with a grateful smile.

The cabman, supporting a good amount of Tatsumi's weight as the three worked together in getting Tatsumi in the cab, "Paul, Sir. My name is Paul MacAllister."

Watari gave the cabman a nod. "Mr. MacAllister...Paul... Thank you for your help. I'm Wata - I mean Wilkins…Doctor John Wilkins. My young friend here is Anthony Crowder."

"It is a pleasure, Doctor Wilkins…young Sir Crowder," said the cabman as he continued to focus on working with Watari and Ran get Tatsumi situated inside the cab first.

Once all of his passengers were inside, the cabman did everything that he could so that his horses hurried them back safely to Reiley Manor.

While they were in the cab, Watari checked on Tatsumi's pulse and noted that it was rapid. He could hear Tatsumi mumble here and there, some words and phrases very familiar to him since they embodied things akin to the world of EnmaCho and the Shokan Division.

Tatsumi's other words, however, had escaped Watari's understanding. Although Watari knew what some of the more coherent words had generally meant, he felt helpless since he did not know the underlying personal significance behind those words.

Seconds later, Watari's train of thought was interrupted as he heard a very weak, sweaty, shaking, and fever-ridden Tatsumi repeatedly mumble a few syllables before clearly hearing the words, "Just go away, John…"

The words coming out of Tatsumi's mouth greatly hurt Watari, although he kept reminding himself that Tatsumi had already apologized in advance for any offenses – this one included.

Ran sat across from Tatsumi and Watari, worried about the two men. He tried to give Watari a consoling smile when the blonde scientist and he made eye contact, although the worry on the young man's handsome face was evident to Watari.

Watari sensed that there was something that Ran knew…a glint of sad recognition reflected in the young man's eyes…that maybe Ran – or Anthony Crowder – understood what Tatsumi – or Lord Reiley – had been mumbling in his delirium.

Soon, the hansom cab stopped and the cabman hurried down. Once he opened the door, he helped Watari and Ran with Tatsumi. He even helped the two get Tatsumi inside the manor, up the stairs, and into the master's bedroom.

As soon as Tatsumi was on the bed, the cabman told Watari, "I best be going, Doctor Wilkins. The wife might be worried if I am not home soon."

"Thank you again, Paul…and please, call me John," was Watari's response.

"Aye, John. Thank you, too. A pleasure to meet you fine folk," was Paul the cabman's reply. He gave Ran a polite nod and then hurried down the stairs.

"Anthony," said Watari to Ran, "Please get the household situated for the evening. I'll take care of Lord Reiley here."

"Yes, Doctor," Ran replied. He then hurried downstairs to ensure that the doors would be locked after Paul's departure.

A tightlipped and worried Watari entered the bathroom and returned to Tatsumi's bedside with a basinful of water and a washcloth and a clean sleeping gown draped in his arm. He let out a burdened sigh as he heard the secretary continue to mumble, catching the last of Tatsumi's garbled words and just understanding the part where the latter said, "Just go away, John…."

The words felt as if they were heavy bricks that weighed down Watari's heart. He, however, worked on changing Tatsumi's clothes. He heard Tatsumi mumble the repeated sentence, but soon he realized that there was more to what he had been hearing from Tatsumi all along. His worried and exhausted mind finally made a connection and changed his entire feelings on the matter because what he heard Tatsumi say after the first handful of too-garbled words was….

"Say something. Do not just go away, John."

Watari's forehead creased, his eyes focused on Tatsumi as he loosened the buttons on the latter's shirt, gave the other a sponge bath to help with the fever, and helped his patient into a change of more comfortable clothing.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi continued to mumble as if he were uttering a mantra. His condition continued to deteriorate as the fever ravaged his body, his mind having clashes of thoughts and memories. Each passing second meant a greater edge in favor of his mind and heart making more room for Lord Reiley's knowledge, emotions, and memories. In turn, this meant that another recollection which belonged to Tatsumi Seiichiro was being erased.

Watari thought as he tried everything that he could keep Tatsumi's condition under control without any medicine, "Why in the world is he telling me not to go away?" Seconds after that thought, he shook his head and added, "Seii's delirious and I'm tired. I need to focus here."

Once Watari was done with making Tatsumi as comfortable as possible, the last deed done was that he tucked in Tatsumi with blankets to keep the secretary warm. He then pulled up a chair, propped it as close to Tatsumi so that he could hear the secretary, and then plunked on the chair as he unbuttoned his vest, loosened his tie, removed his cufflinks, and rolled up his sleeves.

When Tatsumi's mumblings change, giving the impression of urgency, Watari straightened up and leaned forward near Tatsumi's ear and asked, "Yes…?"

Tatsumi, mustering all the strength that he could to do what he felt he needed to do and say what he felt was needed to be said, told Watari, "Love you… Say something…. Do not just go away…"

Watari looked grim, taking a deep breath to remain composed and present. "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me, Seii."

Before closing his eyes and passing out, Tatsumi managed to tell Watari in a tone which carried a plea, "I love you… Do not go away, John…please…"

The stunned blonde scientist stared at an unconscious Tatsumi for a long while, wracking his brain and repeating the sequence of today's events – especially the events leading to this very moment.

When a huge revelation presented before him, Watari's shock grew as he repeated Tatsumi – no, Lord Reiley's words….

_"I love you… Say something…. Do not just go away, John…please…"_

Watari stirred, his blurry eyes seeing a glimpse of Ran and feeling that something light was over him. He sat upright, straightened his glasses, and stretched a bit. Sounding exhausted, he said, "Anthony?"

"I am sorry, Doctor," was Ran's whispered reply. "I was just checking to see how you and Lord Reiley are, so I put a blanket on you. It is rather cold tonight."

"I'm fine," said Watari, his eyes glancing towards Tatsumi. He felt a little relieved seeing that Tatsumi was still settled in and sleeping comfortably.

Ran's sad comment was, "His fever is still high. Will Lord Reiley be all right, Doctor?"

"We have to wait and see how he would fare out in the morning. All we could do is wait and hope for the best." Watari then looked at Ran and asked, "How proficient are you in Latin, Anthony?"

"I stumble through it." Ran then added, "Is this about the cryptic message on that wall?"

Watari nodded and then handed Ran the note pad. He watched as Ran took the pad, brought it closer to the oil lamp, and then read the message aloud in a tongue which was not as fluid or natural-sounding as Tatsumi had done earlier.

_Lux fugiens non fugerit,  
fenestra ut animae spoliatur lumine.  
Mox tenebris lux surget et evigilare fervore suo.  
Non ante finitum lumen fit quod adversariis._

Inwardly, Watari wished that he had the tools normally in his disposal at the Shokan Division. But right now, he had to rely on more antiquated means. And so, his eyes focused on Ran, he asked, "So what does that mean?"

Ran gave Watari a humbled smile. "You are much better at this than I am, Doctor."

"Anthony, please. Just try and humor me here," was all that an exhausted Watari could say.

Anthony blinked, quietly reading the message again. "I could not make much of the entire message, but I could probably do it in pieces."

Watari sighed and nodded. "All right…so what do you see?"

"Something about light… Dark light…. Angry…. Adversary," mumbled Ran while he kept his eyes on the message written on the pad, "This is far too confusing for me, Doctor. Lord Reiley and you began teaching me Latin months ago, but my Latin is not that good yet. I am sorry."

"It's all right. You've done your best," said Watari with an understanding smile. He then glanced at Tatsumi and said, "Maybe Lord Reiley would give us a clue on what it says on that pad, that is if he's well enough in the morning."

Ran sighed, telling Watari, "You know, Doctor, the good Sir will be miffed if he hears you calling him that."

Shaking his head a bit and frowning, Watari stared back at Ran. "Calling him what?"

"Calling him 'Lord Reiley,' Doctor," said Ran with a sad chuckle. "I do not know what you two were arguing about before you left the house that day. I do not know what happened while you two were out there. I do not know why you two returned in such a bad shape – you with a nasty lump and the good Sir sick and delirious. What I do know is that I have never seen or heard him so upset, especially with you."

Looking grim, Watari asked Ran, "I'm not remembering anything right now. What do you remember?"

"I guess your memory is not fully back yet," said a pursed-lipped Ran as he tried to assess where best to start his story. "You two were discussing something behind closed doors, then when you two stepped out both of you looked upset…oddly quiet. Before you two walked out for the evening, you called him 'Lord Reiley' and he got upset."

"But I don't understand…. Why would Lord Reiley be that upset over a proper formality?"

"You normally call him Cliff, Doctor. It is a nickname that only a privileged few ever called him. From what I understand, only the former Count Reiley and his dear wife – Lord Reiley's mother – called him Cliff. He bestowed that privilege to you, and rightfully so because you two have done almost everything together. But for some reason, whatever was said behind closed doors, things changed between the two of you."

Watari continued to shake his head, still not fully comprehending what happened between Doctor John Wilkins and Lord Radcliff Reiley.

Ran looked at Watari with offered empathy. "All that I ask is for you to think about it, Doctor. I ask not just for you, but for the sake of Lord Reiley too. You two have never been the same since that evening. You say that you call him 'Lord Reiley' out of proper formality, even after you have been calling him Cliff all these years. But that night, I honestly think that there was something more than just that going on between you two."

"Why do you say that?"

"It is not what was said but how it was said, Doctor," said Ran with all candor, although he made sure that his tone was gentle. "I do not mean to be disrespectful, but the way that you called him 'Lord Reiley' that day was just…"

"Just what, Anthony…?"

"The way that you said it to Lord Reiley…it was cold, detached…distant. Maybe he felt that the way that you said it was a personal affront, a slap on his face," was Ran's sad reply. "I do hope that you two fix your differences. I hate to see a good friendship disappear. You two have been through so much together…how much good you two have offered to the city…the Crown…all that good gone just because of a spat."

Watari and Ran were silent for a while, the two of them respectively focusing on Tatsumi.

Ran then let out a burdened sigh. He touched Watari's shoulder in such a consoling fashion. "I will stop disturbing you and let you rest now, Doctor. I am sorry for my candor. It is really none of my business, but I worry about the two of you."

"No, Anthony," said a tired and confused Watari with a soft smile. "Thanks for your honesty and your care. I really appreciate it. Now go to bed. Lord Reiley…Cliff…and I…will be fine here. I'll keep an eye on him."

Ran gave Watari a tightlipped smile and then quietly left the room.

Watari then stared at the sleeping Tatsumi, taking in a deep breath as he thought, _"I can't believe this. Lord Radcliff Reiley said 'I love you' to Doctor John Wilkins that night…the moment before Tatsumi and I took their places. Seii and I were arguing before we got trapped in this stupid world by that stupid demon. Now he and I are here, still arguing while wearing these stupid clothes. Just our dumb luck…. What the hell are we going to do now?"_

**End of Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

_**Normal Disclaimer**_

_Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to PJ Zatken. _


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